Users Guide

If a Web user interface session is used to update system component firmware, the Idle Timeout setting must be set high enough
to accommodate the file transfer time. Sometimes, the firmware file transfer time may be as high as 30 minutes. To set the Idle
Timeout value, see Configuring Services.
During updates of CMC firmware, it is normal for some or all of the fan units in the chassis to spin at 100%.
If you have redundant CMCs installed in the chassis, it is recommended to update both the CMCs to the same firmware version
at the same time with a single operation. If CMCs have different firmware and a failover occurs, unexpected results may occur.
NOTE: CMC firmware update or roll back is supported only for the firmware versions 3.10, 3.20, 3.21, 4.0, 4.10, 4.11, 4.30,
4.31, 4.45, 4.5, 5.0, and later. For any version other than these, first update to any of these versions, and then update to
the required version.
The Active CMC resets and becomes temporarily unavailable after the firmware has been uploaded successfully. If a standby
CMC is present, the standby and active roles swap. The standby CMC becomes the active CMC. If an update is applied only to
the active CMC, after the reset is complete, the active CMC does not run the updated image, only the standby CMC has that
image. In general, it is highly recommended to maintain identical firmware versions for the active and standby CMCs.
When the standby CMC has been updated, swap the CMCs’ roles so that the newly updated CMC becomes the active CMC and
CMC with the older firmware becomes the standby. See the cmcchangeover command section in the Chassis Management
Controller for Dell PowerEdge M1000e RACADM Command Line Reference Guide for information about swapping roles. This
allows you to verify that the update has succeeded and that the new firmware is working properly, before you update the
firmware in the second CMC. When both CMCs are updated, you can use the cmcchangeover command to restore the CMCs
to their previous roles. CMC Firmware revision 2.x updates both the primary CMC and the redundant CMC without using the
cmcchangeover command.
To avoid disconnecting other users during a reset, notify authorized users who may log in to CMC and check for active sessions
in the Sessions page. To open the Sessions page, select Chassis in the tree, click the Network tab, and then click the
Sessions subtab.
During the final phases of the firmware update process in CMC, the browser session and connection with CMC is lost
temporarily as the CMC is not connected to the network. CMC generates the chassis overall health as critical owing to the
temporary network loss. When CMC restarts after a few minutes, log in to it. The CMC then generates the chassis overall
health as healthy and the CMC network link is up. After CMC resets, the new firmware version is displayed on the Firmware
Update page.
When transferring files to and from CMC, the file transfer icon spins during the transfer. If your icon is animated, make sure that
your browser is configured to allow animations. For instructions, see Enabling Animations in Internet Explorer.
If you experience problems downloading files from CMC using Internet Explorer, enable the Do not save encrypted pages to disk
option. For instructions, see Downloading Files From CMC With Internet Explorer.
NOTE:
If you have configured the slot name length to more than 15 characters in the current version of CMC, downgrading
the CMC firmware truncates the slot name length to 15 characters.
Related concepts
Downloading CMC Firmware on page 44
Viewing Currently Installed Firmware Versions on page 45
Updating CMC Firmware Using Web Interface
To update the CMC firmware using the CMC Web interface:
1. Go to any of the following pages:
● Chassis Overview > Update
● Chassis Overview > Chassis Controller > Update
● Chassis Overview > I/O Module Overview > Update
● Chassis Overview > iKVM > Update
The Firmware Update page is displayed.
2. In the CMC Firmware section, select the check box(s) in the Update Targets column for the CMC or CMCs (if standby
CMC is present) you want to update the firmware and click Apply CMC Update.
3. In the Firmware Image field, enter the path to the firmware image file on the management station or shared network, or
click Browse to navigate to the file location. The default CMC firmware image name is firmimg.cmc.
4. Click Begin Firmware Update and then click Yes to continue. The Firmware Update Progress section provides firmware
update status information. A status indicator displays on the page while the image file uploads. File transfer time varies based
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Updating Firmware