How To Update Dell Server Bios

How To Update Dell Server BIOS and Firmware with Dell Repository Manager

I decided I would update my Dell PowerEdge 1950 server to the latest BIOS version and besides if possible update the firmware for the RAID carte du jour, disks, network adapters then on.

I thought this would be pretty straightforward, oh how I was wrong! I never knew it would be and then difficult to actually figure out which tool to download and how to use it!

I'1000 writing this because I may forget what I did and I assume others will besides observe it useful..

After spending way too much time figuring out all the unlike ways, the best style I found is to use Dell Repository Manager..

I'd never heard of Dell Repository Manager earlier and to exist honest it did not sound similar what I was looking for. Withal information technology'due south perfect (well non quite but it does the job)!

Because my server is an VMware ESXi server I cannot install Windows or Linux firmware updates from information technology. And then I wanted a CD/DVD that I could kicking from with all the BIOS and firmware updates on it.

Dell Repository Manager is a Windows based piece of software (which I installed on my Windows eight desktop).

In one case installed at that place is a datacenter version for rack, tower and blade servers and a client version for desktops and laptops.

So this can exist used to update everything from a Dell PE 1950 rack server, to a M620 bract or even a Dell Vostro laptop!

Information technology so can produce a bootable ISO you can burn to CD or DVD and boot your server from and it even runs through all the BIOS and other firmware updates for you ane-by-one automatically, while y'all have a loving cup of coffee!

First things first..

ane. Download and Install "Dell Repository Manager" on a Windows desktop or server (at least vista/2008 for ISO creation to work)

http://www.dell.com/back up/drivers/us/en/555/DriverDetails?driverId=X7Y5V

Note: At time of writing the latest I used was one.5 A00 (released 12/12/2012)

ii. At present get-go the Dell Respoitory Managing director Data Center Version

3. Click Create a New Repository

iv. Give your repository a name.

As I'yard only wanting Dell PE 1950 updates I'll phone call it 1950!

five. Get out the source repository selected and click Next.

6. Select the course factor your server model belongs to.

7. Select the OS. Choose all operatings systems.

eight. Select the models you want to include on the CD/DVD.

Note: The more models you select will ultimatley upshot in a larger CD/DVD prototype

9. Select ONLY include the nigh recent and custom bundles. Click Next.

ten. We are not going to select whatever additional files. Click Next.

11. Review your repo settings and click Stop.

12. Your repository will be created..

13. Notice the number of components, this is the firmware updates!

14. Click on your repository and it volition open in it's ain tab.

15. Select the Linux Arrangement Bundle for your server model.

Note: Don't worry yes nosotros are updating an ESXi server (not Linux), by selecting Linux we will create a bootable (linux based) ISO!

sixteen. If you click on the Components tab y'all will and so see all the private updates such every bit the RAID and SAS drive firmware shown here, there should besides be a BIOS update.

17. Select all the components (or the ones you desire) I did them all!

18. Become back to the "Bundles" tab and Click "Export".

19. We are at present going to export all the updates to an ISO. Click Next.

20. Select "Deployment Media (Using Linux Package)

Note: This is of import to become our bootable ISO.

21. You will then get an error bulletin "The required plugin was non found". Click in to install the plugin and wait for it to download and install. This took 2 attempts before it worked for me.

22. Select NO for your own script. It will run it'southward own script to automatically install all the firmware updates.

23. Review the summary and the location the ISO volition be output to. Click Finish.

24. In the job queue y'all will notice a job to export deployment media.

Once again this fleck as well took two attempts for me before it produced the ISO, not sure why I simply put information technology down to a crap tool!

25. Et voilia! Nosotros now accept a bootable ISO image. For this one server model it's small-scale enough to fit on a CD too.

26. Burn with Windows 7/viii builtin ISO burner or your 3rd political party tool to a CD/DVD.

27. Every bit this is an ESXi server we are updating, put your host in maintenance mode, vMotion your VMs to other hosts in the cluster (if you take a cluster) or shutdown the VMs.

And then power off the server and boot from the CD.

28. When it boots from the CD you lot need to press "i" and it will then run through all the BIOS and firmware updates automatically for you.

I hope y'all found this useful and it saved you lot from losing the will to live! :-)