Automated Firmware Upgrades

[Bruce Preudhomme]

We have a large number of Compaq Proliant servers and a smaller number of Dells and IBM servers. We are constantly deploying, sunsetting and redeploying servers. I have noticed with the IBM servers you get a CD called Upgrade Express that all you have to do is boot from the CD and it updates ALL FIRMWARE (System BIOS, RAID Controller, hard drives, DLT, etc.). I found this to be a real efficient way to deploy servers. I was wondering does Compaq (HP) have anything like this or is there something in the works (if not, there should be)?

Take care...
Bruce P.

[Anton Reiman]

Of course there is!!!

If you boot of Smart Start 6.0 and above, on the maintainance tab, there is an firmware update tool. that updates everything that is updateable. You can even load additional option firmware images into it if required.

OR, you can use Insight Manager 7, to schedule automatic software and firmware upgrades...

[Bruce Preudhomme]

Unfortunately, this is only available on the most current hardware platforms (e.g., ML G2 and G3). I tried running 6.2 on an ML 370 G1 Dual 667 and it said "Not supported, use version 5.5 or earlier". It would be nice to have a utility that would do the auto-firmware update for a broader spectrum of machines.

Do you know if there is a version and/or a utility to download that can do this and that works on models like the one mentioned above?

Surely, if IBM can have a single CD that upgrades the firmware for ALL components on a Netfinity right up to the latest X series servers, Compaq/HP can do it too!

Take care...
Bruce P.