VCRM does not detect online firmware update components for Proliant ML350 G6 & G8?

[KubaL]

today I realized that our VCRM (7.2.0.0) detects and auto-updates all software components, but doesn't even detect the online firmware packages for our Proliant servers. tried forcing manual sync with HP and it said "no new updates" while on HP download pages I see updated online firmware components (BIOS, Lights-out, SmartArray, etc.)

exact message from VCRM logs returns no error at all:

8/16/2013 12:36:04 PM The automatic repository update process completed successfully. No new, applicable files were found for download.

8/16/2013 12:35:28 PM Automatic update started successfully [ details]

Updated components not detected by VCRM (sync doesn't pull them, but they are not even listed in catalog at all):

Proliant ML350 G6:

** CRITICAL ** Online ROM Flash Component for Windows x64 - HP ProLiant ML350 G6 (D22) Servers

2013.07.02
14 Aug 2013

Proliant ML350 G8:

** CRITICAL ** Online ROM Flash Component for Windows x64 - HP ProLiant ML350p Gen8 (P72) Servers

• 2013.09.08
• 13 Aug 2013

* RECOMMENDED * Online ROM Flash Component for Windows x64 - HP Integrated Lights-Out 4 (American, International)

• 1.22
• 23 Apr 2013

* RECOMMENDED * Online ROM Flash Component for Windows - Smart Array P220i, P222, P420i, P420, P421, P721m, and P822 (American, International)

• 3.54
• 8 May 2013

there may be more.

Why is that? are they not available for automatic download (VCRM sync) on HP servers??? that used to work prior to April 2013 ... all other (software updates) are detectd, pulled and listed in VCRM and visible through agents.

anybody else seeing this?

[KubaL]

correction.

I tried manually adding the cp***.exe files to repository and found out that packages for Smart Array and Lights out were there, only the online BIOS update packages were missing (not synced).
However, still none of them were listed as available for installation when looking through VC agents on respective servers.

For now, I started the Catalog rescan and rebuild in VCRM, will see if those files get indexed finally.

EDIT:

files were properly indexed and now show up in Catalog (e.g. when checking via VCagent), but how do I know if it really works and pulls new updates to online firmware components in future on its own?

[KubaL]

what a shame. catalog didn't pick up the September 10 2013 updates at all, none of them showed up despite sync running twice a day (no new updates available in Logs).

I updated everything manually, including VCRM update to 7.2.2.0 and now a new problem, VCRM settings are specifically set for pulling catalog updates on Windows 2008 (x86, x64 and R2) only ... since yesterday the VCRM is downloading Redhat *.rpm packages ... wth ...

[KubaL · Accepted solution]

fixed it!

Here is what I did:
1) uninstalled Repository Manager completely, had to shoot down a process it was using for updating (pulling linux packages), then it completed uninstallation of itself gracefully
2) removed the registry entry for VCRM [HKLM/Software/Hewlett-packard/VersionControl]
3) removed manually all linux packages and corresponding manifest files
4) installed the same latest version again
5) selected same Windows versions in configuration and let it re-scan repository

all works now and VCRM now pulls new support packs and individual components.

Hope it helps others having similar issues.