Users Guide

Firmware update
The OMIVV enables you to perform BIOS and firmware update jobs on the managed hosts. You can perform concurrent
firmware update jobs across multiple clusters or nonclustered hosts. Running concurrent firmware update on two hosts of the
same cluster is not allowed.
NOTE: In a multi-appliance environment, to perform firmware update on cluster or host, ensure that the appliance
registered with target vCenter is loaded.
The following are the two methods to perform the firmware updates:
● Single DUP—performs firmware update for iDRAC and BIOS by pointing directly to the DUP location (either CIFS or NFS).
The single DUP method can be used only at the host level.
● Repository Profiles—performs firmware and driver updates. The method can be used at both host level and cluster level.
The following are the repository profiles that are used for firmware and driver updates:
○ Firmware Repository—A repository profile that uses firmware catalog to get the firmware information.
The following are the two types of firmware repository:
￭ User-created firmware repository
￭ Factory-created firmware repository: The following are the two types of factory created catalogs: Factory-created
catalogs are not applicable for vSAN cluster firmware update and baselining.
- Dell Default Catalog: A factory-created firmware repository profile that uses the Dell EMC Online catalog to get
the latest firmware information. If the appliance does not have an Internet connection, modify this repository to
point to a local CIFS or NFS or HTTP or HTTPs based shares.
- Validated MX Stack Catalog: A factory-created firmware repository profile that uses the Dell EMC online catalog
to get the validated firmware information for MX chassis and its corresponding sleds.
○ Driver repository—A repository profile contains offline bundles that can be used to update the driver for vSAN clusters.
The Firmware Update Wizard always checks for the minimum firmware levels for iDRAC and BIOS and attempts to update
them to the required minimum versions. See OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter Compatibility Matrix for more
information about the minimum firmware levels for iDRAC and BIOS. Once iDRAC and BIOS firmware versions meet the
minimum requirements, the firmware update process enables updates for all firmware versions including iDRAC, RAID
Controller, NIC, BIOS, and so on.
NOTE:
To update PowerEdge XR2 server, OMIVV uses R440 firmware components present in the Dell online catalog. If you
want to create a custom catalog (using DRM) to be used for offline firmware repository to support PowerEdge XR2, use
firmware components applicable to PowerEdge R440 server.
Update firmware and driver on vSAN host
Before scheduling the firmware update on vSAN hosts (hosts in vSAN enabled cluster), ensure that the following conditions are
met in the environment:
● Ensure that host is compliant (CSIOR enabled and host must have supported ESXi version), associated with a host
credential profile, and successfully inventoried.
● The following prerequisites are checked before scheduling the firmware update:
○ DRS is enabled.
○ Host is not already in maintenance mode.
○ vSAN data objects are healthy.
To skip the prerequisites, clear the Check Prerequisites check box on the Schedule Updates page.
● For storage controller, HDD, and SSD components, the selected drivers and firmware versions in the selected repositories
are compliant as per the VMware vSAN guidelines based on the vSAN version.
● For drivers, OMIVV supports only the offline bundles that are listed in the VMware Hardware Compatibility List.
● The cluster satisfies the vSAN requirements for the selected data migration option. If the vSAN cluster does not meet the
requirements for the selected data migration option, the update times out.
● Dell EMC recommends selecting the baselined (Cluster Profile) firmware or driver repository.
● Ensure that there are no active firmware update jobs for any hosts under the cluster that you are updating.
Host Management
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