BIOS upgrade

[Ashok S T]

Hi All,

With Firmware ISO DVD we can install BIOS and all firmware.

Is there any way to upgrade only BIOS not from the ISO DVD instead i have downloaded only the BIOS from ITRC site for vmware ESXi 4.1 server as .SCEXE file.

I have tried to install from the vmware as we execute shell scripting but its not worked.

Thanks in Advance,

Ashok ST

[Ali]

Hi Ashok,

What is the Server model?

You always have offline method for upgrading the system bios. In some server USB key method depending on the model

thanks,
Aftab

[Ashok S T]

Hi Aftab,

Thanks for the response. The server model is ProLiant DL580 G5 server.

Thanks,
Ashok S T

[Michael A. McKenney]

You can do an interactive firmware install from Windows and only choose that component. The problem you might have is some of your hardware might not work at their current firmware rev with the new firmware. Be careful with 9.2. I took out 2 servers in the last month installing it. Required new server boards and HBAs. HP brought out 3 dead boards.

[Ali]

Hi Ashok,

thanks for sharing the info.

System Bios for Dl580 G5 server.
SP51196.exe (5.1 MB)

Installation instructions :
download this softpaq from HP website to any of your system running windows.

extract the softpaq by just double clicking on it.

run 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.

It will extract all the different folder and webpage will give you following option
Create a bootable ROMPaq diskette
Create a bootable ROMPaq USB Key
Create a bootable ROMPaq USB Key of Floppy Format
Create a bootable ROMPaq CD
ROMPaq Diskette Flat Files
Create a label for the ROMPaq diskette.
Network ROM Flashing Capabilities

Once your BIOS upgrade disk is created, you may use ILO or locally upgrade the system bios,

thanks,
Aftab

[Ashok S T]

Hi Aftab,

Thanks for your brief information.

However, my OS is different. That is vmware ESXi 4.1. I have downloaded BIOS - ROM of CP014163.SCEXE for linux.

In that installation instruction tab i found that to excute this in vmware OS, just need to login as root in command prompt and type bash CP014163.SCEXE, but this didn't help me.

It is throwing the error stats that grep echo not found like that.

I need to know what i did is correct or not.

Thanks in Advance,
Ashok S T

[Michael A. McKenney]

You need to be logged in as root in Linux to modify hardware. Get a USB CD/DVD. Boot the firmware disk. Do interactive and only do the BIOS.

[Ali]

Hi Ashok,

You are doing everything right. Online firmware that you are trying to run is a Shell script which runs from Bash or Sh login. however SH and Bash login/command is not supported in ESXi environment. I guess it is disabled.

You have to explore the other ways to run the shell script in ESXi on vmware website. I Guess it requires lot of tweaking and playing around with the firmware bin file.

Me and Michael are giving you offline bios update options...

If you have any laptop, desktop or any server running windows, get the firmware USB/floppy/CD/DVD created and boot the system from it to perform the offline system bios update.

thanks,
Aftab

[Ali]

Just an addition... ESXi does not have service console... I guess you are using Busbox console of ESXi where bash interpreter does not exists.

check the last response in this thread, will give some idea how to run script.
http://communities.vmware.com/thread/286317

Thanks,
Aftab

[Ashok S T]

Hi Aftab/Michael,

Thanks a lot for your response. Your valued inputs gave some idea.

Here i have few queries,

1. The online BIOS which i have downloaded is .SCEXE file how do i write this do CD/DVD as bootable.

The problem which i am facing is as i told earlier i have downloaded a FIRMWARE DVD 9.20B from HP ITRC contains only 2009.07.10 but
this online BIOS ROM Flash has the version of 2010.10.25 (Latest BIOS then that in DVD).

2. From the vmware community link (Which your attached in the forum) i got that there is no bash shell in vmware ESXi 4.1 i do agree this.

But using ls command in the path /bin i found that both ash and sh shell is there and in addition i did #more CP014163.SCEXE
and found that in first stanza "#!/bin/sh".

Now my question is sh shell is already there in vmware ESXi 4.1 but still it is throwing error. Shall i change this stanza to #!/bin/ash and try to execute ..?


Exepecting your Advice.


Thansk,

Ashok ST

[Ali]

Hi Ashok,

1. The online BIOS which i have downloaded is .SCEXE file how do i write this do CD/DVD as bootable.

Online Bios works when OS is up and running. it gives you an option to update the system bios without rebooting the server.

You can't use online bios as offline and there is no need to put it in CD.

Offline bios is different which requires reboot and done through USB/Floppy/CD/virtual media etc.

Offline method seems to be better option for you as online need
System Bios for Dl580 G5 server.
SP51196.exe (5.1 MB)

Just download this softpaq from any machine running windows. its in executable ZIP format so you need to unzip it by just double clicking on it then it will give you many options to create bootable floppy / CD / USB to boot the server from and update the bios.

I'm not sure about the other command in ESXi. may be you check on vmware website.

thanks,
Aftab

[Ashok S T]

Hi Aftab,

Thanks a lot for your information.

I am clear now. Let me download the latest BIOS in my client windows machine and check the same.

Thanks & Regards,
Ashok S T

[Ashok S T]

Hi Aftab,

I have downloaded the latest ONLINE ROM BIOS of SP51196.exe (5.1 MB). Executed the same in my windows client machine and created the bootable USB ROM.

Rebooted the machine and done the latest BIOS update. Now machine is showing the latest BIOS.

Thanks a lot for your inputs.

Thanks & Regards,
Ashok ST

[Ashok S T]

I am closing this thread.

Regards,
Ashok ST