White Papers

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In order to read back the entire OEM FRU content, including data that isn’t printable such as any data in the Internal Area, use the
IPMItool fru read command. It creates a file with the same binary structure as was generated by the FRU tool.
> ipmitool -I lanplus -H %IP% -U root -P password fru read 17 readback.bin
Fru Size : 1024 bytes
Done
Writing, printing and reading back the OEM FRU can be done on any PowerEdge server by using IPMItool. The contents do not persist
through an iDRAC powercycle unless the feature is enabled by using ID Module.
EDITING FRU FIELDS
After a BIN file has been programmed onto a server, programmed string fields can be modified at any time by using the IPMItool fru edit
command. The FRU tool displays sample commands when the --cmd flag is used while building the BIN payload.
> ipmitool -I lanplus -H %IP% -U root -P password fru edit 17 field p 0 123456789012
Updating Field 'Widgets Inc.' with '123456789012' ...
On printing back the OEM FRU, the change is reflected:
> ipmitool -I lanplus -H %IP% -U root -P password fru print 17
Product Manufacturer : 123456789012
By using the IPMItool fru edit command, any unique field such as serial numbers can be programmed as required on a per server basis.
This needs to be done as part of the factory process.
PRODUCTION READY
ID MODULE ENGAGEMENT
ID Module is an iDRAC capability that enables customization of various aspects of PowerEdge servers such as branding (logos and
SMBIOS strings), Microsoft OS activation, BIOS and iDRAC custom defaults and other advanced tweaks as required by an OEM
configuration. The www.dellyourid.com website describes these features and enables an OEM to configure the Express and
Professional tier customizations by using a web browser.
The OEM FRU storage feature is a premium tier customization capability of ID Module. The OEM FRU content can be developed,
generated and tested on any 13G+ PowerEdge server by following the procedure described in this white paper. In order to enable the
OEM FRU capability in production servers, the feature needs to be enabled by using ID Module.
The OEM FRU capability is designed to persist across iDRAC resets and resetting to default settings. This ensures that any content
programmed in the OEM factory process is retained across any field deployment scenarios. While OEM FRU continues to remain
writable at all times, it is only altered when it is directly written to or edited, not as a side effect of other actions. The exception to this is
the installation of a new ID Module. This causes any existing content to be replaced by the default OEM FRU contents of the installed
ID Module or deleted altogether if the feature is disabled.
The Premium tier requires additional engagements and is best handled by working with your Dell EMC Sales representative through the
ID Module development process.
FACTORY RECOMMENDATIONS
As part of enabling the OEM FRU capability, the ID Module payload can be configured to include either a default blank OEM FRU or the
OEM FRU BIN file specifically developed for your solution. Depending on the FRU content and factory process, multiple approaches
are possible.