Linux on Dell PowerEdge Server

Alexandre Vovan | 2 May 2011 20:36

upgrade BIOS and firmware on PE 850

Hello,

Hope you're all doing well. 

I am trying to upgrade the BIOS and CERC firmware on a PE 850, but without success. Here's what I tried :

1. burned ISO of latest System Update Utility DVD - it's 4.8GB and it won't fit on a normal DVD! So I burned it on
a Dual-Layer DVD, and the PE 850 doesn't seem to recognize it.
2. installed Debian and OMSA - but I can't see how I could use this (CLI or web) to performa a BIOS or firmware update...
3. tried to install Windows 2008 32-bit to run the windows BIOS update utility - Windows doesn't recognize
the CERC driver taken from the Dell website.
4. installed Windows XP to run the windows BIOS update utility - pops up an error when I try to run it.

Any ideas? 

Thanks! :)

Alexandre

headers

Tim Small | 2 May 2011 23:15

Re: upgrade BIOS and firmware on PE 850

On 02/05/11 19:36, Alexandre Vovan wrote:

> 2. installed Debian and OMSA - but I can't see how I could use this (CLI or web) to performa a BIOS or firmware update...
> 3. tried to install Windows 2008 32-bit to run the windows BIOS update utility - Windows doesn't recognize
the CERC driver taken from the Dell website.
> 4. installed Windows XP to run the windows BIOS update utility - pops up an error when I try to run it.
>
> Any ideas? 
>   

Did you try:

http://www.ducea.com/2007/08/27/dell-bios-firmware-updates-on-debian/

to update the BIOS?  It has always worked for me - no farting about with
iso images, or broken rpms required...

Not sure about the CERC, but I tend to end up manually pulling apart
Dell's bizarre RHEL rpms to install under Debian for RAID cards.

If that doesn't work, I use the DOS one (and netboot, or USB,
syslinux+CD boot the DOS image).  If all else fails, perhaps you could
try flashrom (have used it successfully on many non-Dell system)
http://www.flashrom.org/Flashrom

I think I would be inclined to ditch the CERC, and replace it with
something a bit better supported under Linux, like a $20 Silicon Image
3132, or $40 Silicon Image 3124 (PCIe or PCI-X respectively).  Oh, you
can even flash those with flashrom under Debian.

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