SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
DELL POWER SOLUTIONS Re
rinted from Dell Power Solutions, August 2005. Copyright © 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserve
ugust 2005
e overa
PowerE
ge 1855
a
e server c
ange-management process.
However, the
rameworks that are used to update individual server
blades do not scale to manage the updates o
chassis components.
his section describes how to update components in the PowerEd
e
855 blade server chassis that have administrator-upgradeable system
software. These firmware components include
•
Management mo
u
e
•
VM m
l
•
O mo
u
es
ministrators can up
ate t
e PowerE
ge 1855
a
e server
chassis module firmware usin
either the GUI or the CLI of the Dell
Remote Access Controller/Modular Chassis
DRAC/MC
. Both inter-
faces require administrators to download the firmware image from
TFTP or an FTP server. The updated
irmware ima
e should be
ma
e avai
a
e in a
esignate
irectory on t
e TFTP or FTP server.
Th
ell Remote Access Controller/Modular Chassis User’s
Gui
provides specific instructions on how to set up the TFTP
or FTP server
or a
irmware u
date at su
ort.dell.com/su
ort
edocs
so
tware
smdrac3
dracmc
Management module
irmware updates
e DRAC/MC is t
e management mo
u
e t
at a
ows a
ministra-
ors to monitor and mana
e chassis components in a Dell PowerEd
e
855 blade server. The PowerEdge 1855 blade server offers two dif-
erent con
i
urations
or mana
ement module
irmware
•
Sin
le DRAC/MC
•
e
un
ant DRAC
MC
Single DRAC/MC firmware. DRAC/MC
irmware can be
p
raded usin
the GUI, CLI, or DRAC/MC firmware recovery
console.
The DRAC/MC
irmware u
date is a TFTP-based u
date
process. For all three DRAC/MC firmware update methods, adminis-
rators must complete the
ollowin
setup procedures be
ore startin
he firmware update process:
1. Set up a TFTP server and copy the
irmware image to the
r
f
h
TFTP
rv
r
2.
ecord the IP address o
the TFTP server and the
ile name
of the updated firmware ima
e.
3. Lo
in to the DRAC/MC, usin
either the GUI or CLI
To update the
irmware usin
the GUI, administrators should
navigate to t
e Up
ate ta
an
se
ect “Firmware Up
ate.” Next,
hey should enter the TFTP IP address of the firmware image file
name and start the DRAC/MC
irmware update process by clickin
U
ate Firmware.”
To update the firmware usin
the CLI, administrators should enter
he
ollowing Racadm command at the DRAC/MC console prompt
DRAC/MC: racadm fwu
date -a
FTP_IP_ADDRES
-d mgmt.bi
ere
is the IP address of the TFTP server and
mgmt.
i
is the name o
the
irmware ima
e
ile
ote: T
is Raca
m comman
can
e entere
at t
e DRAC/MC
serial console or at a Telnet session. Best practices recommend usin
he serial console because
i
a TFTP download
ails
administra-
r
wi
W
n
n
w
r
nn
i
n
T
n
DRAC/MC will boot to the DRAC/MC
irmware recover
console,
hich can be accessed only at the serial console. The firmware
ecovery console provides the
ollowin
options
•
p
rade
irmware
rom the serial por
•
pgrade
irmware
rom the networ
•
Confi
ure network parameter
sing the DRAC/MC firmware recovery console, administra-
ors can restart the
irmware u
date
rocess either via serial
ort
r
n
w
r
N
While in recover
mode, the DRAC/MC does not moni-
or chassis components of the PowerEdge 1855 blade server. For
hat reason
administrators should take extra care to minimize the
mount o
time that the DRAC/MC s
ends in recover
mode.
Redundant DRAC
MC
irmware
In a redundant confi
uration,
wo se
arate DRAC/MC modules are installed in a chassis
•
rimar
DRAC/MC module, which activel
monitors the
i
•
standb
DRAC/MC module, which monitors the active
signal from the primary DRAC/MC module (If a failure in the
rimary DRAC/MC module occurs
or more than
ive sec-
on
s, t
e stan
y DRAC/MC mo
u
e is
esigne
to
ecome
he active, primary DRAC/MC module.
T
e PowerE
e 1855
a
e server supports re
un
ant DRAC/MC
mode i
the DRAC/MC is runnin
irmware version 1.1 or hi
her.
A
t
oug
re
un
ant DRAC/MC mo
u
es can
e up
ate
wit
a sing
e
irmware packa
e, the DRAC/MC
oes throu
h the
ollowin
steps
o complete the firmware update process once the administrator
2
For more information about how to access the DRAC/MC GUI and the CLI
also known as the Racadm command-line utilit
, refer to the
Dell Remote Access Controller/Modular Chassis User’s Guide
at support.dell.com/support/
docs/software/smdrac3/dracmc.
