Users Guide

Update and Rollback in Lifecycle Controller
Enabled Server
Dell Lifecycle Controller Enabled Server is an embedded configuration utility that enables systems and storage management tasks from an
embedded environment throughout the life cycle of a system.
Residing on an embedded flash memory card, Lifecycle Controller is similar to a BIOS utility in that it can be started during the boot
sequence and can function independently of an installed operating system.
Using Lifecycle Controller, you can quickly identify, download, and apply system updates without searching the Dell Support website. You
can also configure the system BIOS and system devices (such as NIC, RAID, and iDRAC), deploy an operating system, and run diagnostics
to validate the system and the attached hardware.
NOTE: For information on update and rollback for iDRAC, see Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 8 (iDRAC8)
Version 2.00.00.00 Users Guide available at dell.com/esmmanuals.
NOTE: Certain platforms or systems may not support the full set of features provided by Lifecycle Controller.
Topics:
• Update in Lifecycle Controller
• Rollback in Lifecycle Controller
Update in Lifecycle Controller
You can update the system BIOS, iDRAC firmware, power supply firmware, RAID firmware, and NIC firmware. Use the wizard to display a
list of available updates for the system Platform Update
You can define a location to search for available updates from the following options:
• The Dell File Transfer Protocol (FTP) system (ftp.dell.com). You can use a proxy system to access ftp.dell.com.
• A USB device. When accessing updates from a local USB device, the USB device must be plugged in before selecting the Platform
Update option in Lifecycle Controller. For more information on updating the platform, see the Dell Lifecycle controller User Guide
available at dell.com/support/manuals.
After you select the updates you want to apply, Lifecycle Controller downloads and applies the updates. If you decide to update any
device in Lifecycle Controller, the update package of the corresponding device is downloaded. After successfully downloading, verifying,
and extracting the DUPs, the corresponding devices are updated. If the update fails, error messages are displayed.
NOTE:
You can also select the required component updates through the selective updates feature. Select multiple
updates separated by a comma (,)or semicolon (;). The selective update feature is supported for devices which does not
support the rollback option.
Rollback in Lifecycle Controller
You can update any component, for example BIOS, in both Lifecycle Controller and the operating system environment. After the update is
successful in the operating system environment using DUPs, you can enter Lifecycle Controller and revert the component to the version
that was previously installed before the update occurred.
Lifecycle Controller supports platform firmware rollback to the previous version. If the operating system has a non–functioning application
because of a BIOS or firmware flash, reboot to Lifecycle Controller and roll back to the previous version.
NOTE:
The BIOS and firmware can be only rolled back. The Lifecycle Controller application, the Dell Diagnostics
application, and drivers required for operating system installation cannot be rolled back to an earlier version.
If you have updated the BIOS or firmware of the system only once, the rollback feature offers the option of reverting to the factory-
installed BIOS or firmware images. If you have updated the BIOS or firmware to multiple versions, the factory-installed images are
overwritten and you cannot revert to them.
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