How To Upgrade Firmware?

[Mousa55]

Hi All,

i want to upgrade my server dl320 G3 to latest BIOS and Storage Controller firmware to install redhat Linux 5.
Note: (the OS available on server now is MSWS 2008 R2 ENT ED SP2 64 BIT.)
but when i check the installation instruction of BIOS Firmware and Storage Controller Firmware on HP site i found this

===============================================
BIOS - System ROM
"
This Enhanced SoftPaq contains utilities that can be used to restore and/or update the system ROM on the HP ProLiant Server.

1. Download the Enhanced SoftPaq to a directory on a system running Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows Server 2003, or Microsoft Windows XP and change to that directory.

2. From that drive and directory, execute the downloaded Enhanced SoftPaq file simply by double clicking on the SPxxxxx file and follow the installation wizard to complete the Enhanced SoftPaq installation process. At the end of a successful installation of the Enhanced SoftPaq, a web page will automatically appear to provide you with the different methods for restoring and/or upgrading the firmware on the system."

Firmware - Storage Controller
"Use DOS-bootable USB key to perform the upgrade and follow the below instructions:

1. Download the SoftPaq to a directory on your hard drive.
2. Obtain a DOS-bootable USB key.
3. Execute the downloaded file to extract its contents to the DOS-bootable USB key.
4. Boot the ProLiant server with the HP 8 internal Port SAS HBA with RAID using the DOS-bootable USB key.
5. Once the server has booted and displays the command prompt, change to the USB key and execute "update p".
6. Upon completion of flashing, the following message will be displayed:

PLEASE REBOOT YOUR SYSTEM. PROGRAMMING COMPLETE!!
7. Remove all diskettes/USB keys and reboot the server.
8. For additional instructions, refer to "Update.txt" that is extracted from the SoftPaq."
===============================================

when i can starting the upgrade BIOS and RAID firmware?, after installing the Linux or before.
and i installed the (PSP) HP ProLiant Support Pack for Linux CD, Does this include all firmware? or i need other CD.

Thanks

[Matti_Kurkela · Accepted solution]

The installation instructions you quoted are for an off-line installable BIOS/firmware upgrade. Because it uses a separate boot media (a bootable USB key), it can install the firmware no matter which OS is currently installed, or even if the system has no OS nor disks installed at all.

There is also a downloadable update called "Online ROM Flash Component for Linux - HP ProLiant DL320 G3 (D18) Servers": this would be the easiest to use *after* Linux has been installed. It does not require booting with an USB key or any other external media. You will still need to reboot to make the new firmware take effect.

Link:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=427542&prodNameId=3288091&swEnvOID=4004&swLang=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=MTX-709b4e968a9a46239baaf4ce97

The storage controller firmware for DL320 G3 is apparenly not available as an on-line installable package for Linux, but only as an off-line installation package.

It might be best to upgrade the firmware before installing Linux (to minimize the possibility of firmware issues during the installation), but it can be done afterwards too.

The PSP does not include firmware; it just includes drivers and hardware monitoring/management tools.

HP also releases Firmware Maintenance CDs, which include the latest firmware packages for a lot of hardware. It can be used as an "universal solution" to update the firmwares on all supported hardware, if you don't want to download individual firmware packages for all your server models. It is a bootable CD, so it's independent of the installed OS.

Link:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=427542&prodNameId=3288091&swEnvOID=4004&swLang=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=MTX-124beffbed3842cea0b9b3f962

MK

[FLQ]

Hi Nejad,

you can boot the FW ISO from ILO and upgrade the FW that way.

HTH

[Mousa55]

Hi,

you can tell me how i can install the storage controller firmware an off-line installation mode. Because I didn't understand this point "booting with an USB key".

and i check the Firmware Maintenance CD Server Support Guide, the storage controller firmware is not included for dl320 G3 server

Note: i don't have ILO ip.

Thanks

[Matti_Kurkela]

"USB key" refers to HP DriveKey or any other similar USB flash storage device, commonly called "USB sticks".

"HP DriveKey" is just HP's brand name for such a device. In fact, most USB storage stick brands can be used, although HP of course uses their own products in their documentation :-)

First, you use this tool to make the USB stick bootable:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?swItem=MTX-UNITY-I23839〈=en&cc=us&idx=2&mode=4&

See also:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00218060/c00218060.pdf

Once you've used this tool on your USB stick, the stick is bootable and ready to receive the firmware package (step 2 of the instructions of the storage controller firmware package).

Add the contents of the storage controller firmware package to the USB stick (step 3).

Then connect the USB stick to the server that needs the firmware upgrade, reboot the server, interrupt the boot sequence and change the BIOS settings to make the server boot from the USB stick (step 4, also described in the above-mentioned PDF).

Once you see the DOS command prompt
(gray text on black screen, typically "C:\>"), enter the update command (step 5).

The rest should be rather obvious.

MK

[Alzhy]

Or you can just try ding it via HPSUM along with the PSP Install.

[Server-Support]

ok, does this can be done offline without removing the hard disk from the server ?

I'm about to do the same but afraid of deleting the data is it is very critical and too large to backup since my server is the backup server itself :-)