DELL 5.00 Lifecycle Controller User Guide
- June 16, 2024
- Dell
Table of Contents
- DELL 5.00 Lifecycle Controller
- Product Information
- Product Usage Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Introduction
- Licensable features in Lifecycle Controller
- Using Lifecycle Controller
- Operating system deployment
- Monitor
- Firmware update
- Configure
- Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
- Download This Manual (PDF format)
DELL 5.00 Lifecycle Controller
Product Information
Specifications
- User Guide: Lifecycle Controller User’s Guide
- Revision: December 2021 Rev. A00
Components of Lifecycle Controller:
- GUI: An embedded configuration utility that resides on an embedded flash memory card. It is similar to the BIOS utility and can function in a pre-operating system environment. It enables server and storage management tasks throughout the life cycle of the server.
Advantages of using Lifecycle Controller:
The iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller technology in the server’s embedded management allows you to perform useful tasks such as:
- Configuring BIOS and hardware settings
- Deploying operating systems
- Changing RAID settings
- Saving hardware profiles
Together, iDRAC and Lifecycle Controller provide a robust set of management functions that can be used throughout the entire server lifecycle.
Lifecycle Controller simplifies server lifecycle management, including:
- Provisioning
- Deployment
- Patching and updating
- Servicing
- User customization
Lifecycle Controller includes managed and persistent storage that embeds systems management features and Operating System device drivers directly on the server. This eliminates the need for media-based system management tools and utilities traditionally used for systems management.
Product Usage Instructions
Viewing or Exporting Current Inventory after Resetting Lifecycle Controller
To view or export the current inventory after resetting Lifecycle Controller, follow these steps:
- Access the Lifecycle Controller GUI.
- Go to the Inventory section.
- Select the desired option to view or export the current inventory.
Viewing Lifecycle Log History
To view the Lifecycle Log history, follow these steps:
- Access the Lifecycle Controller GUI.
- Navigate to the Log section.
- Select the Lifecycle Log option.
Exporting Lifecycle Log
To export the Lifecycle Log, follow these steps:
- Access the Lifecycle Controller GUI.
- Navigate to the Log section.
- Select the Export option for the Lifecycle Log.
Adding a Work Note to the Lifecycle Log
To add a work note to the Lifecycle Log, follow these steps:
- Access the Lifecycle Controller GUI.
- Navigate to the Log section.
- Select the Work Note option.
- Enter the work note details and save it to the Lifecycle Log.
Frequently Asked Questions
Error Messages
- Q: What should I do if I encounter an error message?
- A: If you encounter an error message, refer to the Troubleshooting section in the user manual for specific instructions on how to resolve the issue.
- Q: Where can I find answers to frequently asked questions about Lifecycle Controller?
- A: You can find answers to frequently asked questions about Lifecycle Controller in Chapter 10 of the user manual.
Lifecycle Controller User’s Guide
December 2021 Rev. A00
Notes, cautions, and warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of
your product. CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware
or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem. WARNING: A WARNING
indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
© 2021 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Dell, EMC, and
other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other
trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Introduction
Dell Lifecycle Controller provides advanced embedded systems management to
perform systems management tasks such as deploy, configure, update, maintain,
and diagnose using a graphical user interface (GUI). It is delivered as part
of integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) out-of-band solution and
embedded Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) applications in the
latest Dell servers. iDRAC works with the UEFI firmware to access and manage
every aspect of the hardware, including component and subsystem management
that is beyond the traditional Baseboard Management Controller (BMC)
capabilities.
NOTE: The UEFI environment provides the local console interface and the
infrastructure for locally managed system components.
Lifecycle Controller has the following components:
GUI: Is an embedded configuration utility that resides on an embedded flash
memory card. Is similar to the BIOS utility that is started during the boot
sequence, and can function in a pre-operating system environment. Enables
server and storage management tasks from an embedded environment throughout
the life cycle of the server.
Remote Services (WS-Man and iDRAC RESTful API with Redfish) simplify end-to-
end server life cycle management by using the one-to-many method. It can be
accessed over the network by using the secure web services interfaces and can
be used by applications and scripts. Also, it provides a single view of all
the system settings that can be imported and exported from the server to
perform one-to-many cloning operations. For more information about remote
services features, see Lifecycle Controller Remote Services Quick Start Guide
available at https://www.dell.com/idracmanuals
Topics:
· Advantages of using Lifecycle Controller · Benefits of using iDRAC with
Lifecycle Controller · New in this release · Key features · Licensable
features in Lifecycle Controller · Viewing iDRAC license information · Other
documents you may need · Accessing documents from Dell support site ·
Contacting Dell
Advantages of using Lifecycle Controller
The iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller technology in the server’s embedded
management allows you to perform useful tasks such as configuring BIOS and
hardware settings, deploying operating systems, changing RAID settings, and
saving hardware profiles. Together, iDRAC and Lifecycle Controller provide a
robust set of management functions that can be used throughout the entire
server lifecycle.
Lifecycle controller simplifies server lifecycle management — from
provisioning, deployment, patching and updating to servicing and user
customization — both locally and remotely. Lifecycle Controller includes
managed and persistent storage that embeds systems management features and
Operating System device drivers directly on the server. This eliminates the
media-based system management tools and utilities traditionally needed for
systems management.
Benefits of using iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller
The benefits include:
Increased availability — Early notification of potential or actual failures
that help prevent a server failure or reduce recovery time after failure.
6
Introduction
Improved productivity and lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) — Extending the
reach of administrators to larger number of distant servers can make the IT
staff more productive while driving down operational costs such as travel.
Secure environment — By providing secure access to remote servers,
administrators can perform critical management functions while maintaining
server and network security.
Enhanced embedded management — Lifecycle Controller provides deployment and
simplified serviceability through the LC GUI for local deployment, Remote
Services WS-Man and iDRAC RESTful API with Redfish interfaces for remote
deployment integrated with OpenManage Enterprise, OpenManage Essentials, and
partner consoles.
For more information on iDRAC, see the Integrated Dell Remote Access
Controller User’s Guide available at https://www.dell.com/idracmanuals For
more information on wsman, see Dell Lifecycle Controller User’s Guide
available at https://www.dell.com/idracmanuals
New in this release
This section provides the list of new features added in the following release:
Firmware version 5.10.00.00
The key features of Lifecycle Controller are:
Added support for TLS 1.3 Security update for HTTPs protocol.
Firmware version 5.00.00.00
The key features of Lifecycle Controller are:
Added support for IPv6 domain name across LCUI network. Added support for SEKM
and LKM in PERC 11 supported platforms. TPM update is blocked. SDK plugin
update is blocked.
Key features
The key features of Lifecycle Controller are:
Provisioning — Entire pre-operating system configuration from a unified
interface. Deploying — Simplified operating system installation with the
embedded drivers on Lifecycle Controller. Unattended
installation mode is available for Microsoft Windows and Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 7 operating systems. Download drivers for operating system installation
from www.dell.com/support. Patching or updating
— Operating system agnostic, and reduced maintenance downtime with direct
access to updates
from . It simplifies firmware updates by maintaining a working version for
rollback. Servicing — Continuous availability of diagnostics without depending
on a hard-disk drive. Ability to flash firmware
automatically, while replacing components such as a PowerEdge storage
controller, NIC, and power supply unit. Support for VLAN in network
configuration. System erase — Deletes the server and storage-related data on
selected components of a server. You can delete information on BIOS, Lifecycle
Controller data (LC logs, configuration database and rollback firmware
versions), iDRAC settings, and storage components on the server.
NOTE: You cannot delete the iDRAC license file. Security — Support local key
encryption. Enhanced Security — Support for TLS 1.3, 1.2, and 1.1. To enhance
security, default setting is TLS 1.1 and higher. Hardware inventory — Provides
information about the current and factory system configuration. Lifecycle
Controller logs for troubleshooting. CIFS operations — CIFS operations from
LCUI uses SMBv2 protocol but is displayed as CIFS on the GUI.
Introduction
7
Licensable features in Lifecycle Controller
Lifecycle Controller features are available based on the type of license (iDRAC Basic, iDRAC Express, iDRAC Express for Blades, iDRAC Enterprise and iDRAC Datacenter) that you purchase. Only licensed features are available in the Lifecycle Controller GUI. For more information about managing licenses, see the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller User’s Guide available at https://www.dell.com/idracmanuals The following table lists the Lifecycle Controller features available based on the license purchased.
Table 1. Licensable Features in Lifecycle Controller
Feature
iDRAC Basic
iDRAC Express (Rack iDRAC Express (Blade iDRAC Enterprise /
and Tower Servers) Servers)
Datacenter
Firmware Update Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Secure Enterprise —
—
—
Yes (With SEKM
Key Manager
license)
Operating system Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
deployment
Device
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
configuration
Diagnostics
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Part replacement —
Yes
Yes
Yes
Local updates
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Driver packs
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Hardware inventory Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Remote services
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
(through WS-MAN)
SupportAssist
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Collection
Repurpose or retire Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
system
Viewing iDRAC license information
After you open the Lifecycle Controller GUI page, you can view details about
the iDRAC installed on a server. To view the iDRAC license information:
1. Start Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle
Controller.
2. On any page of Lifecycle Controller, click About in the upper-right
corner.
3. On the About page, click License Information. The following information is
displayed on the iDRAC License Report page:
Table 2. : License Information
Device ID
Indicates the Service Tag of the server on which iDRAC is installed.
License
Entitlement ID — Indicates a unique ID provided by the manufacturer. Status —
Indicates the status of the installed license. Description — Indicates the
license details. License Type — Indicates the type of license of the device.
For example, Evaluation, Evaluation
Extension, or Perpetual.
8
Introduction
Table 2. : License Information (continued)
Expiration — Indicates the date and time at which the license expires.
Other documents you may need
In addition to this guide, you can access the following guides available at
https://www.dell.com/manuals
The Lifecycle Controller Online Help provides detailed information about the
fields available on the GUI and the descriptions for the same. To view the
online help information, click Help in the upper-right corner of all Lifecycle
Controller pages, or press
The Lifecycle Controller Release Notes is available from within the product.
To read through the Release Notes within Lifecycle Controller, click About in
the upper-right corner, and then click View Release Notes. A web version is
also given to provide last-minute updates to the system or documentation or
advanced technical reference material intended for experienced users or
technicians.
This document provides an overview of iDRAC digital licensing and how it is
different from iDRAC available in the PowerEdge servers. It also provides an
understanding on iDRAC Express and Enterprise value offerings.
The Lifecycle controller Remote Services For PowerEdge Servers Quick Start
Guide provides information about using remote services.
The Systems Management Overview Guide provides brief information about the
various Dell software available to perform systems management tasks.
The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) User’s Guide provides
information about configuring and using an iDRAC for rack, tower, and blade
servers to remotely manage and monitor your system and its shared resources
through a network.
The Dell Repository Manager User Guide provides information about creating
customized bundles and repositories comprised of Dell Update Packages (DUPs)
for systems running supported Microsoft Windows operating systems.
The “Lifecycle Controller Supported Dell Systems and Operating Systems”
section in the Dell Systems Software Support Matrix provides the list of Dell
systems and operating systems that you can deploy on target systems.
The PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) 9 User’s Guide provides specification and
configuration-related information about the PERC 9 controllers.
The Glossary provides information about the terms used in this document. The
OpenManage Server Update Utility User’s Guide provides information about using
the DVD-based application for
identifying and applying updates to the system.
The following system documents are available to provide more information:
The safety instructions that came with your system provide important safety
and regulatory information. For additional regulatory information, see the
Regulatory Compliance home page at
https://www.dell.com/regulatorycompliance. Warranty information may be
included within this document or as a separate document.
The Rack Installation Instructions included with your rack solution describe
how to install your system into a rack. The Getting Started Guide provides an
overview of system features, setting up your system, and technical
specifications. The Owner’s Manual provides information about system features
and describes how to troubleshoot the system and install
or replace system components. Lifecycle Controller Web Services Interface
GuideWindows and Linux.
Social Media Reference
To know more about the product, best practices, and information about Dell
solutions and services, you can access the social media platforms such as Dell
TechCenter and YouTube. You can access blogs, forums, white papers, how-to
videos, and so on from the Lifecycle Controller knowledge base at
iDRAC9_support.
For Lifecycle Controller documents and other related firmware documents, see
https://www.dell.com/esmmanuals
Accessing documents from Dell support site
You can access the required documents in one of the following ways: Using the
following links:
For all Enterprise Systems Management and OpenManage Connections documents —
https://www.dell.com/esmmanuals
Introduction
9
For OpenManage documents — https://www.dell.com/openmanagemanuals For iDRAC
and Lifecycle Controller documents — https://www.dell.com/idracmanuals For
Serviceability Tools documents — https://www.dell.com/serviceabilitytools
For Client Command Suite Systems Management documents —
https://www.dell.com/omconnectionsclient
Accessing documents using the product search
1. Go to https://www.dell.com/support. 2. In the Enter a Service Tag,
Serial Number… search box, type the product name. For example, PowerEdge or
iDRAC.
A list of matching products is displayed. 3. Select your product and click the
search icon or press enter. 4. Click DOCUMENTATION. 5. Click MANUALS AND
DOCUMENTS.
Accessing documents using product selector
You can also access documents by selecting your product. 1. Go to
https://www.dell.com/support. 2. Click Browse all products. 3. Click the
desired product category, such as Servers, Software, Storage, and so on. 4.
Click the desired product and then click the desired version if applicable.
NOTE: For some products, you may need to navigate through the subcategories.
5. Click DOCUMENTATION. 6. Click MANUALS AND DOCUMENTS.
Contacting Dell
NOTE: If you do not have an active Internet connection, you can find contact
information on your purchase invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product
catalog. Dell provides several online and telephone-based support and service
options. Availability varies by country and product, and some services may not
be available in your area. To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or
customer service issues: 1. Go to https://www.dell.com/support. 2. Select
your support category. 3. Verify your country or region in the Choose a
Country/Region drop-down list at the bottom of the page. 4. Select the
appropriate service or support link based on your need.
10
Introduction
2
Using Lifecycle Controller
This section provides information about starting, enabling, and disabling
Lifecycle Controller. Before using Lifecycle Controller, make sure that the
network and iDRAC are configured. For more information, see the Integrated
Dell Remote Access Controller User’s Guide at
https://www.dell.com/esmmanuals
Topics:
· Starting Lifecycle Controller · Using Lifecycle Controller for the first
time · Lifecycle Controller features
Starting Lifecycle Controller
To start Lifecycle Controller, restart the system and press
NOTE: If the system does not start Lifecycle Controller, see Start messages
during POST, causes, and resolutions.
Start messages during POST, causes, and resolutions
The table lists the messages that appear during system startup, and their appropriate cause and resolution.
Table 3. Start messages during POST, cause, and resolution
Message
Cause
Resolution
Lifecycle Controller disabled
The system is turned on or restarted while iDRAC is initializing. This occurs
if:
The system is turned on immediately after AC power is connected to the system.
The system is restarted immediately after resetting iDRAC.
Lifecycle Controller is manually disabled
Wait for a minute after resetting iDRAC to restart the system, so that iDRAC
initializes.
Press
Lifecycle Controller in Recovery mode
The embedded device that has a backup of the product may contain corrupted
data.
Ungracefully exits Lifecycle Controller for three consecutive times if one of
the following conditions occur:
3 consecutive unsuccessful attempts to enter Lifecycle Controller GUI.
3 consecutive unsuccessful attempts to complete inventory collection.
3 consecutive unsuccessful attempts to perform tasks in Automated Task
applications.
Enable Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see Enabling Lifecycle Controller
Using Lifecycle Controller
11
Table 3. Start messages during POST, cause, and resolution (continued)
Message
Cause
Resolution
Lifecycle Controller not available Another process is using iDRAC.
Wait for 30 minutes for the current process to complete, restart the system, and then retry. You can use the iDRAC GUI to check the job queue and the status.
Enabling Lifecycle Controller
To enable access to Lifecycle Controller during system startup: 1. Press
The System Setup Main Menu page is displayed. 2. Select iDRAC Settings.
The iDRAC Settings page is displayed. 3. Select Lifecycle Controller. 4. Under
Lifecycle Controller, select Enabled. 5. On the System Setup Main Menu page,
select Finish to save the settings. 6. Select Yes to restart the system.
Disabling Lifecycle Controller
To disable access to Lifecycle Controller at system startup: 1. Press
The System Setup Main Menu page is displayed. 2. Select iDRAC Settings.
The iDRAC Settings page is displayed. 3. Select Lifecycle Controller. 4. Under
Lifecycle Controller, select Disabled. 5. On the System Setup Main Menu page,
select Finish to save the settings. 6. Select Yes to restart the system.
Canceling Lifecycle Controller actions
If Lifecycle Controller causes the system to restart twice, cancel the
Lifecycle Controller actions. However, if Lifecycle Controller causes the
system to restart the third time, the message Lifecycle Controller update
required is displayed, you must enable Lifecycle Controller. For more
information on enabling Lifecycle Controller, see Enabling Lifecycle
Controller.
CAUTION: This action cancels all tasks that are being performed by Lifecycle
Controller. It is recommended that you cancel the Lifecycle Controller actions
only when absolutely necessary.
1. Press
2. In the System Setup Main Menu page, select iDRAC Settings. The iDRAC
Settings page is displayed.
3. Select Lifecycle Controller. 4. Under Cancel Lifecycle Controller Actions,
select Yes. 5. On the System Setup Main Menu page, select Finish to save the
settings. 6. Select Yes to restart the system.
12
Using Lifecycle Controller
Using Lifecycle Controller for the first time
After you start Lifecycle Controller for the first time, by default the
Initial Setup Wizard page is launched. Use this wizard to set up the Language
,Keyboard Type, Network Settings, and iDRAC Network and Credentials.
Setting up Lifecycle Controller using Initial Setup Wizard
Use the Initial Setup Wizard to select the language and default keyboard
settings, configure network settings, iDRAC network and credential
configuration, and view the summary of the settings.
Specifying language and keyboard type
1. Start Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle
Controller. 2. On the left pane, click Settings. 3. On the Settings pane,
click Language and Keyboard. Use the up-and down-arrow keys to select options.
From the Language drop-down menu, select the language. From the Keyboard Type
drop-down menu, select the keyboard type. 4. Click Next to save the new
settings.
Viewing Product Overview
Use this page to see the overview of Lifecycle Controller and iDRAC. Click
Next to continue. NOTE: For more information about the product, scan the QR
code provided on this page by using a supported QR reader or scanner and
navigate to https://www.dell.com/idracmanuals
The Lifecycle Controller Network Settings page is displayed.
Configuring Lifecycle Controller Network Settings
Use this page to configure network settings for a NIC. 1. Start Lifecycle
Controller. For more information, seeStarting Lifecycle Controller. 2. On the
left pane, click Settings. 3. On the Settings pane, click Network Settings. 4.
From the NIC Card drop-down menu, select the NIC port that you want to
configure.
NOTE: You can use only one NIC at a time to communicate with the network.
5. From the IPV4 Network Settings IP Address Source drop-down menu, select
one of the following options: DHCP — indicates that the NIC must be configured
by using an IP address from a DHCP server. DHCP is the default option and the
DHCP IP address is displayed on the Network Settings page. Static IP —
indicates that the NIC must be configured by using a static IP. Type the IP
Address Properties — IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and DNS
Address. If you do not have this information, contact your network
administrator. No Configuration — indicates that the NIC must not be
configured.
6. From the IPV6 Network Settings IP Address Source drop-down menu, select
one of the following options: DHCPv6 — indicates that the NIC must be
configured by using an IP address from a DHCPv6 server. If DHCPv6 is selected,
a DHCPv6 IP address is displayed on the Network Settings page. NOTE: While
configuring DHCP server with IPv6, the configuration fails if you disable
forwarding or advertising options. Static IP — indicates that the NIC must be
configured by using a static IP. Type the IP Address Properties — IP Address,
Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and DNS Address. If you do not have this
information, contact your network administrator.
7. Click Enabled and type the VLAN ID and Priority under Lifecycle Controller
VLAN Settings to configure the VLAN settings of a NIC.
Using Lifecycle Controller
13
8. Click Next. NOTE: If Lifecycle Controller settings are not correctly
configured, an error message is displayed.
NOTE: If you are unable to connect to a network, verify the settings. For
information about correct network settings, contact your network
administrator.
Configuring iDRAC Network and Credentials
Use this page to configure remote access parameters for iDRAC.
1. From the IP Address Source menu, select one of the following options:
Static — indicates that the network must be configured by using a static IP.
Type the IP Address Properties such as IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default
Gateway, DNS Address Source, and DNS Address. If you do not have this
information, contact your network administrator. DHCP — indicates that the NIC
must be configured using an IP address from a DHCP server. DHCP is the default
option and the DHCP IP address is displayed on the Network Settings page.
2. Enter the following credentials: Account Username– The user name to access
iDRAC network Password– The password to access iDRAC network Confirm Password–
The password to access iDRAC network
3. Click Next
Recommended characters in user names and passwords
This section provides details about the recommended characters while creating
and using user names and passwords.
Use the following characters while creating user names and passwords:For
recommended characters while accessing network shares, see Recommended
characters while accessing network shares.
Table 4. Recommended characters for user names Characters
Length
0-9
1-16
A-Z
a-z
– ! # $ % & ( ) * / ; ? @ [ ] ^ _ ` { | } ~ + < = >
Table 5. Recommended characters for passwords Characters
0-9 A-Z a-z ‘ – ! ” # $ % & ( ) * , . / : ; ? @ [ ] ^ _ ` { | } ~ + < = >
Length 1-20
NOTE: You may be able to create user names and passwords that include other
characters. However, to ensure compatibility with all interfaces, Dell
recommends using only the characters listed here.
NOTE: To improve security, it is recommended to use complex passwords that
have 8 or more characters and include lower-case alphabets, upper-case
alphabets, numbers, and special characters. It is also recommended to
regularly change the passwords, if possible.
14
Using Lifecycle Controller
Table 6. Recommended characters while accessing network shares
Characters
Length
0-9 A-Z a-z – * / : ? @ _ |
User name: 1-16 Password: 1-20
Viewing summary of network settings
This page provides a summary of the Lifecycle Controller and iDRAC IP
configurations. Verify the configurations and click Finish to save the
settings and exit from the Settings wizard.
Accessing help
Each Lifecycle Controller page has a help associated with it. Press
Viewing release notes
1. To view the release notes, click About on any page of Lifecycle
Controller. NOTE: The About option is not available from the help pages.
2. Click View Release Notes.
Setting up Lifecycle Controller from the home page
If you miss to make any changes in the Initial Setup Wizard, or if you want to
make any configuration changes later, restart the server, press F10 to launch
Lifecycle Controller, and select Settings from the home page.
Specifying language and keyboard type
1. Start Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle
Controller. 2. On the left pane, click Settings. 3. On the Settings pane,
click Language and Keyboard. Use the up-and down-arrow keys to select options.
From the Language drop-down menu, select the language. From the Keyboard Type
drop-down menu, select the keyboard type. 4. Click Next to save the new
settings.
Configuring Lifecycle Controller Network Settings
Use this page to configure network settings for a NIC. 1. Start Lifecycle
Controller. For more information, seeStarting Lifecycle Controller. 2. On the
left pane, click Settings. 3. On the Settings pane, click Network Settings. 4.
From the NIC Card drop-down menu, select the NIC port that you want to
configure.
NOTE: You can use only one NIC at a time to communicate with the network.
5. From the IPV4 Network Settings IP Address Source drop-down menu, select
one of the following options: DHCP — indicates that the NIC must be configured
by using an IP address from a DHCP server. DHCP is the default option and the
DHCP IP address is displayed on the Network Settings page.
Using Lifecycle Controller
15
Static IP — indicates that the NIC must be configured by using a static IP.
Type the IP Address Properties — IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and
DNS Address. If you do not have this information, contact your network
administrator.
No Configuration — indicates that the NIC must not be configured. 6. From the
IPV6 Network Settings IP Address Source drop-down menu, select one of the
following options:
DHCPv6 — indicates that the NIC must be configured by using an IP address from
a DHCPv6 server. If DHCPv6 is selected, a DHCPv6 IP address is displayed on
the Network Settings page. NOTE: While configuring DHCP server with IPv6, the
configuration fails if you disable forwarding or advertising options.
Static IP — indicates that the NIC must be configured by using a static IP.
Type the IP Address Properties — IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and
DNS Address. If you do not have this information, contact your network
administrator.
7. Click Enabled and type the VLAN ID and Priority under Lifecycle Controller
VLAN Settings to configure the VLAN settings of a NIC.
8. Click Next.
NOTE: If Lifecycle Controller settings are not correctly configured, an error
message is displayed.
NOTE: If you are unable to connect to a network, verify the settings. For
information about correct network settings, contact your network
administrator.
Lifecycle Controller features
This section provides a brief description about the Lifecycle Controller
features and helps you understand how to use the Lifecycle Controller wizards
most effectively. Each feature is a wizard in Lifecycle Controller, which
supports the following tasks:
Home — Navigate back to the Home page. Lifecycle Log — View and export the
Lifecycle Controller log, and add a work note to the log. Firmware Update —
Apply updates or perform firmware rollback for the system components, and view
the firmware
version available on a server. Hardware Configuration — Configure, view, or
export the hardware inventory of a system, and repurpose or retire a
system. OS Deployment — Install an operating system in manual mode or
unattended mode by using an answer file. Hardware Diagnostics — Perform
diagnostics to validate the memory, I/O devices, CPU and physical disks and
export
support assist report and other peripherals. Settings — Specify the language,
keyboard layout, and network settings while using Lifecycle Controller. System
Setup — Configure settings for devices or components such as iDRAC, BIOS,
RAID, and NIC.
16
Using Lifecycle Controller
3
Operating system deployment
The OS Deployment feature allows you to deploy standard and custom operating
systems on the managed system. You can also configure RAID before installing
the operating system if it is not already configured. Lifecycle Controller
allows deploying the operating system using the following options: Manual
installation Unattended installation. For more information on unattended
installation, see Unattended installation UEFI Secure Boot. For more
information on UEFI Secure Boot, see UEFI Secure Boot
NOTE: Driver packs are available for the deployment of Windows and Linux
operating systems supported by Lifecycle Controller. Before deploying these
operating systems, make sure that Lifecycle Controller is updated with the
latest driver packs. You can download the latest drivers pack from
https://www.dell.com/support
NOTE: When drivers are mounted from driver pack using iDRAC/RACDM/WSMAN or
other interfaces, you can not launch LC UI or it may not be available.
NOTE: FAT32 limits the size of a single file to 4 GB. If you are using a
Windows image file that is more than 4 GB, split the file in to multiple
files. For more information see the documentation available at
Docs.microsoft.com.
NOTE: UEFI environment doesn’t support NTFS file format. USB Boot Media must
be MBR disk with FAT32 filesystem.
Once a Lifecycle Controller job such as OS Deployment, System configuration
job, etc is triggered, then no other LC job like BIOS config job is allowed to
perform. Before initiating any LC job, please check the status using the
command racadm getremoteservicesstatus. The LC Status output of the command
must show Ready in order to proceed.
Topics:
· Installing an operating system · Using the optional RAID configuration ·
Configuring RAID using the operating system deployment wizard · Unattended
installation · UEFI Secure Boot · Driver access · Installing an operating
system on iSCSI LUN and FCoE LUN · Post reboot scenarios
Installing an operating system
Before installing an operating system, make sure that the following
prerequisites are met: Optical DVD drive, virtual media, RFS, or a bootable
USB drive is connected to a server. Software RAID or PowerEdge RAID controller
is installed with the latest firmware, and at least two hard-disk drives
are available for creating the virtual disk. For information about the
supported controllers and related firmware, see the operating system
documentation.
NOTE: You can install the operating system on media such as Dual SD or PCIe
SSD. However, RAID configuration is not supported on these media. This option
is not available on servers with iDRAC 5.00.00.00 and above. For installing an
operating system in an unattended mode, make sure that you copy the required
configuration file (autounattend.xml for Windows and ks.cfg for RHEL 7) to a
USB or network share. Ensure the Lifecycle Controller Operating System Driver
pack is installed. To install an operating system: 1. Start Lifecycle
Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle Controller. 2. In the
left pane, click OS Deployment.
Operating system deployment
17
3. In the right pane, click Deploy OS and select one of the following:
Configure RAID First — Click to configure a RAID connected to the server. For
information about configuring a RAID, see Using the optional RAID
Configuration .
NOTE: Configuring RAID is optional if an already-connected virtual disk is
present.
Go Directly to OS Deployment — Click to launch the operating system deployment
wizard and start installing an operating system.
4. On the Select an Operating System page, select the following and click
Next: Boot Mode — Choose either UEFI or BIOS boot mode depending on the boot
configuration of the system for OS installation. Secure Boot — Allows you to
enable or disable the Secure Boot option. Click Enabled to secure the boot
process by checking if the drivers are signed with an acceptable digital
signature. This option is available only for the UEFI boot mode. For more
information on Secure Boot, see UEFI Secure Boot NOTE: The Secure Boot option
is available only if the Load Legacy Video Option ROM setting is set to
disabled. To disable the Load Legacy Video Option ROM setting, click System
Setup > System BIOS Settings > Miscellaneous Settings > Load Legacy Video
Option ROM > Disabled. Secure Boot Policy — Allows you to specify the policy
or digital signature that BIOS uses to authenticate. By default Standard
secure boot policy is applied. Standard — BIOS uses the default set of
certificates to validate the drivers and operating system loaders during the
boot process. Custom — BIOS uses the specific set of certificates that you
import or delete from the standard certificates to validate the drivers and
operating system loaders during the boot process.
NOTE: The secure boot policy settings made on BIOS can also be changed on the
Lifecycle Controller GUI.
NOTE: The Secure Boot option is available only if the BIOS of the system
supports the feature.
Available Operating Systems — Displays the list of operating systems depending
on the boot mode selected. Select the operating system to install on the
server. The drivers pack for deploying the Windows and Linux operating systems
supported by Lifecycle Controller are available and extracted to a local
repository (OEMDRV). These driver packs contain the drivers required for
installing an operating system. NOTE: If you select Any Other Operating System
option, make sure that you have prepared the necessary drivers for your
system. See https://www.dell.com/support for more information on operating
system installation images and drivers for these operating systems.
5. On the Select Installation Mode page, select any one of the following:
Unattended Install Manual Install NOTE: The Unattended Install option is
enabled only if the operating system is compatible for an unattended
installation. If the operating system is not compatible, the option is grayed
out. For more information on unattended install mode, see Unattended
installation.
NOTE: A detailed procedure for installing an operating system using the
unattended installation mode is provided in the video about unattended
installation of operating system at www.youtube.com
6. On the Select Installation Mode page, select or enter the appropriate data
to import the operating system configuration file and then click Next. For
more information about the fields available on the Select Installation Mode
page, see the online help by clicking Help in the upper-right corner of the
Lifecycle Controller GUI.
7. On the Select OS Media page, insert the appropriate operating system media
and click Next.
Lifecycle Controller validates the media and displays an error message if the
verification process is not successful. The verification may be unsuccessful
if:
An incorrect operating system media is inserted. An operating system media is
damaged or corrupted. The optical drive in the system cannot read the media.
8. On the Reboot the System page, the summary of selections is displayed.
Verify the selections and click Finish. The system reboots and starts the
operating system installation. For more information about the post-reboot
scenarios, see Post reboot Scenarios
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Operating system deployment
Using the optional RAID configuration
When you install an operating system, you can: Deploy the operating system
without configuring RAID. Configure the hard-disk drives using the optional
RAID configuration wizard and deploy the operating system. Alternatively, you
can configure RAID through the RAID configuration page from the Hardware
Configuration > Configuration Wizards > RAID Configuration.
Configuring RAID using the operating system deployment wizard
To configure RAID using the OS Deployment page: NOTE: If the system has a RAID
controller, you can configure a virtual disk as the boot device. Create boot
virtual disk only from disk drives populated across 03 of the system. For
slot information, see the system Owner’s Manual at
https://www.dell.com/support.
1. Start Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle
Controller. 2. In the left pane, click OS Deployment. 3. On the OS Deployment
page, click Deploy OS. 4. On the Deploy OS page, click Configure RAID First,
and then click Next.
The storage controllers available for configuration are displayed in the RAID
Configuration page. NOTE: Make sure that the selected controller is not in a
non-RAID mode.
5. Select a storage controller. The RAID configuration options are displayed.
6. Follow the instruction on the screen, complete the RAID setting tasks, and
then click Finish. The RAID configuration is applied to the virtual disks, and
the Select an Operating System page is displayed. You can proceed with
installing the operating system. For information on installing the operating
system, see Installing an Operating System.
Unattended installation
An unattended installation is a scripted operating system installation process
that allows you to install an operating system using the configuration file
with minimal intervention. A scripted configuration file that contains the
desired operating system setting information is required for this option. The
Unattended Install option is available only if the operating system that you
have selected for installation is compatible for an unattended installation.
To deploy an operating system using the unattended mode, see Installing an
operating system You can also see the Unattended Installation of operating
systems from Lifecycle Controller on PowerEdge Servers white paper at Dell
TechCenter.
NOTE: The unattended installation feature is supported only for the Microsoft
Windows and Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 6.9 and 7 onwards. If you select
any other operating systems, the Unattended Install option is grayed out.
UEFI Secure Boot
The UEFI Secure Boot is a technology that secures the boot process by
verifying if the drivers and operating system loaders are signed by the key
that is authorized by the firmware. When enabled, Secure Boot makes sure that:
BIOS boot option is disabled. Only UEFI-based operating systems are supported
for operating system deployment in all management applications. Only
authenticated EFI images and operating system loaders are started from UEFI
firmware. You can enable or disable the Secure Boot attribute locally or
remotely using Dell EMC management applications. Lifecycle Controller supports
deploying an operating system with the Secure Boot option only in the UEFI
boot mode.
Operating system deployment
19
There are two BIOS attributes that are associated with Secure Boot:
Secure Boot — Displays if the Secure Boot is enabled or disabled.
Secure Boot Policy — Allows you to specify the policy or digital signature
that BIOS uses to authenticate. The policy can be classified as: Standard —
BIOS uses the default set of certificates to validate the drivers and
operating system loaders during the boot process.
Custom — BIOS uses the specific set of certificates that you import or delete
from the standard certificates to validate the drivers and operating system
loaders during the boot process.
NOTE: The secure boot policy settings made on BIOS can also be changed on the
Lifecycle Controller GUI.
NOTE: For more information on UEFI, go to uefi.org.
Driver access
Lifecycle Controller provides a local repository for drivers that are required
for installing the operating system. Based on the operating system you want to
install, the OS Deployment wizard extracts these drivers and copies them to a
temporary directory (OEMDRV) on the managed system. These files are deleted
after 18 hours or when you:
Refresh the AC power cycle, which resets the iDRAC. Press
NOTE: Before installing an operating system, make sure that Lifecycle
Controller is updated with the latest driver packs. You can download the
latest Lifecycle Controller drivers at https://www.dell.com/support
Installing an operating system on iSCSI LUN and FCoE LUN
You can install an operating system on an iSCSI LUN and FCoE LUN by using the
System Setup page.
Post reboot scenarios
The following table lists the post reboot scenarios, its user actions, and impact.
Table 7. Post reboot scenarios Scenario
User Action and Impact
During POST, the system prompts you to press a key Press any key to begin the
operating system installation; else, the to boot to the operating system
installation media. system boots to the hard-disk drive and not the operating
system
installation media.
Operating system installation is interrupted and the The system prompts you to press a key to boot from the operating system restarts before the installation is completed. system installation media.
Cancel operating system installation.
Press
NOTE: If you press
During the 18-hour period when drivers are extracted to a temporary location after the operating system is installed, you cannot update the component firmware using a DUP. If you attempt a DUP through the operating system during this time period, the DUP displays a message that another session is active.
Lifecycle Controller does not allow DUP after the operating system installation. However, if you disconnect the power supply to the managed system, the OEMDRV directory is erased.
20
Operating system deployment
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Using Lifecycle Controller, you can monitor the hardware inventory and events
of a server throughout its life cycle.
Topics:
· Hardware inventory view and export · About view and export current inventory
· About view and export factory-shipped inventory · Viewing hardware inventory
— current or factory shipped · Exporting hardware inventory — current or
factory shipped · Viewing or exporting hardware inventory after part
replacement · Viewing or exporting current inventory after resetting Lifecycle
Controller · Lifecycle Controller log
Hardware inventory view and export
Lifecycle Controller provides the following wizards to manage the system
inventory: View Current Inventory Export Current Inventory View Factory
Shipped Inventory Export Factory Shipped Inventory Collect System Inventory on
Restart
About view and export current inventory
You can view information about the installed hardware components that are
internal to the system chassis and the configuration for each component. All
the installed hardware components such as fans, PCI devices, NICs, DIMMs, PSU,
and their properties and values are displayed. You can export this information
from a JSON file to a USB drive or network share. The JSON file is saved in
the following format: HardwareInventory
NOTE: Incorrect inventory data is displayed or exported after performing a
system erase. For viewing the correct inventory data, see Viewing and
Exporting Current Inventory After Resetting Lifecycle Controller.
NOTE: The inventory that is displayed in the Lifecycle Controller GUI may not
be the same as that of any iDRAC interfaces. To get the updated inventory, run
the CSIOR, wait for 2 minutes, reboot the host, and then enter the LCUI.
NOTE: Some attributes like Primary status/Rollup status might show as Unknown
while collecting inventory data from LCUI. This is expected based on the
availability of RTCEM inventory.
About view and export factory-shipped inventory
You can view information about the factory-installed hardware components and
their configuration. You can export this information in an XML format to a USB
drive or a network share. The XML file is saved in this format:
FactoryShippedHWInventory_
NOTE: View and export factory-shipped inventory feature is grayed out if the
Repurpose or Retire System option is selected, which permanently deletes the
factory-shipped inventory.
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21
Viewing hardware inventory — current or factory shipped
NOTE: For factory-shipped inventory, the status of few parameters for the
installed components is displayed as Unknown.
To view the currently installed or factory-installed hardware components and
their configuration details: 1. Start Lifecycle Controller. For more
information, see Starting Lifecycle Controller. 2. In the left pane, click
Hardware Configuration. 3. In the right pane, click Hardware Inventory. 4. To
view the current- or factory-shipped inventory, click View Current Inventory
or View Factory Shipped Inventory
respectively. A list of hardware components are displayed on the View Current
Hardware Inventory page.
NOTE: Lifecycle Controller does not provide the driver version for the RAID
controller. To view the driver version, use iDRAC, OpenManage Server
Administrator Storage Service, or any other third-party storage management
application. 5. Select from the Filter by Hardware Component drop-down menu to
filter the components. The Fully Qualified Device Descriptor (FQDD) property
of a component is also listed along with other properties of a hardware
component. NOTE: You can also filter data by a FQDD property of the hardware
component. By default, the FQDD Device Description property value is displayed
for every hardware component listed.
Exporting hardware inventory — current or factory shipped
Before exporting the currently installed or factory-installed hardware
components and their configuration, make sure that the following prerequisites
are met: If you use the network share (shared folder), configure the Network
Settings. For more information, see Configuring
Network for a NIC. If you are storing the exported file on a USB drive, make
sure that a USB drive is connected to the managed system. To export the
current or factory-shipped hardware inventory: 1. Start Lifecycle Controller.
For more information, see Starting Lifecycle Controller 2. In the left pane,
click Hardware Configuration. 3. In the right pane, click Hardware Inventory.
4. Click Export Current Inventory or Export Factory Shipped Hardware
Inventory. 5. If you are exporting the inventory to a local USB drive, select
USB Drive. If you are exporting the file to a shared folder on a
network, select Network Share. For more information, see Exporting hardware
inventory to a USB drive or Exporting hardware inventory to network share To
verify that using Lifecycle Controller, you can connect to the IP address,
click Test Network Connection. Using Lifecycle Controller you can ping the
Gateway IP, DNS server IP, and the host IP.
NOTE: If the domain name is not resolved in the DNS, then you cannot use
Lifecycle Controller to ping the domain name and view the IP address. Make
sure that the DNS issue is resolved, and then retry.
6. Click Finish to export the inventory. The HardwareInventory
Exporting hardware inventory to a USB drive
To export hardware-related inventory to a USB drive:
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1. From the Select Device drop-down menu, select a USB drive. 2. Click
Browse, and in folder selection widget, select the folder path where the file
is stored in the root location of the device.
Exporting hardware inventory to network share
To export to a network share, select CIFS, NFS, HTTP, or HTTPS and type the
required details.
CIFS
For CIFS, type the following details: Share Name — Type the server IP or host
name followed by the root of the network share. Examples:
192.168.0.120sharename or \hostnamesharename. Domain and User Name — Type the
domain and user name required to log on to the network share. If there is no
domain,
type the user name. Password — Type the correct password. File Path — Type the
sub-directories, if any. For example, 2015Nov.
NOTE: The following characters are supported for user name and password:
Digits (09) Alphabets (a-z, A-Z) Special Characters (-, _, .) NOTE: Lifecycle
Controller allows 256 characters in a path that includes the file name and
file extension. For example, if 56 characters are used for file name and
extension, only 200 characters can be used for the path. Lifecycle Controller
does not support these characters -:, ,?,”,<,>,|,#,%,^, and SPACE.
NFS
For NFS, type the following details: Share Name — Type the server IP or
hostname followed by the root of the network share. Examples:
192.168.0.120sharename or \hostnamesharename File Path — Type the
subdirectories path, if any. For example, 2015Nov. The examples provided for
Share Name and File Path are in the correct format even though it does not
follow the mount behavior for NFS shares.
NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path that includes the
file name and file extension. For example, if 56 characters are used for file
name and extension, only 200 characters can be used for the path. Lifecycle
Controller does not support these characters -:, ,?,”,<,>,|,#,%,^, and SPACE.
HTTP and HTTPS
For HTTP/HTTPS, type the following details: Share Name/Address–Type the IP
address of the local HTTP/HTTPS server. Examples: \192.168.0.120 or IP address
File Path–Type the subdirectories path, if any.
NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path that includes the
filename and file extension. For example, if 56 characters are used for
filename and extension, only 200 characters can be used for the path.
Lifecycle Controller does not support these characters -:, *,?,”,<,>,|,#,%, ^,
and SPACE.
Viewing or exporting hardware inventory after part replacement
To view or export the hardware inventory after part replacement: 1. Start
Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle Controller
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23
2. In the left pane, click Hardware Configuration. 3. In the right pane,
click Hardware Inventory. 4. Click View Current Inventory.
Lifecycle Controller displays the old hardware inventory. 5. Restart the
server and relaunch Lifecycle Controller. 6. On the Hardware Inventory page,
click View Current Hardware Inventory to view the latest inventory, or click
Export
Current Inventory to export the latest inventory to an external location.
Viewing or exporting current inventory after resetting Lifecycle Controller
NOTE: The system automatically turns off after you select the Repurpose or
Retire System option.
To view or export the current hardware inventory data after resetting
Lifecycle Controller: 1. Turn on the system and wait for a few minutes for
iDRAC to start functioning. 2. Press
Restart (CSIOR) is enabled by default. 3. After Lifecycle Controller starts,
click Hardware Configuration > View Current Hardware Inventory or Export
Current
Hardware Inventory to view or export current hardware inventory respectively.
If the following message is displayed, click No, reboot the system, and then
retry. Hardware change is detected on the system. The current hardware
inventory does not contain the latest updates as the hardware inventory update
is in progress. To view or export the latest hardware inventory, relaunch
Lifecycle Controller and retry. Do you want to continue with the old current
hardware inventory information?
Lifecycle Controller log
Lifecycle Controller Log provides a record of past activities on a managed
system. Using the Lifecycle Log wizard, you can view and export life cycle
log, and add a work note to a log history. The log contains the following:
Firmware update history based on device, version, and date and time. Events
based on category, severity, and date and time. User comments history based on
date and time.
NOTE: If you initiate configuration jobs using RACADM CLI or iDRAC web
interface, the Lifecycle log displays information about the user, interface
used, and the IP address of the system from which you initiate the job.
Viewing Lifecycle Log history
Use the Lifecycle Log feature to view: System event logs History of firmware
updates
NOTE: The details of the configuration changes are not displayed. User work
notes You can use the filtering and sorting options to view the Lifecycle Log.
NOTE: As the system events are generated by various systems management tools,
you may not view the events in log immediately after they were logged.
To view the Lifecycle Log history and use the filtering options: 1. Start
Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle Controller.
2. In the left pane, click Lifecycle Log. 3. In the right pane, click View
Lifecycle Log History.
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The following details are displayed: No. — The serial number of the event.
Category — The category to which the events belong. The available categories
are:
All — Events related to all categories are listed. System Health — Events
related to the installed hardware such as fan, PSUs, NIC/LOM/CNA link, BIOS
errors, and
so on. Storage — Events related to the external or internal storage components
such as storage controller, enclosure,
HDDs, and software RAID. Configuration — Events related to the hardware and
software changes such as addition or removal of hardware in
the system, configuration changes made using Lifecycle Controller or system
management tools. Audit — Events related to a user login, intrusion, licenses,
and so on. Updates — Events related to updates or rollback of firmware and
drivers. Work Notes — Events logged by you.
NOTE: These options are available in the Filter by Category drop-down menu.
Select the category to filter the data depending on the category option
selected. Severity Critical — Indicates the events that are business-critical.
Informational — Indicates the events that are generated only for information
purpose. Message ID — Each event is represented with a unique Message ID. For
example, SWC0001. Description — A brief description about the event. For
example, Dell OS Drivers Pack, v.6.4.0.14, X14 was detected. NOTE: If you
initiate configuration jobs using RACADM CLI or iDRAC web interface, the
Lifecycle log description displays the information about the user, interface
used, and the IP address of the system from which you initiate the job. Date
and Time — Indicates the date and time when an event occurred. 4. You can also
view feature specific logs using the filter option. For viewing logs for
specific category (Power Supply, Audit, Storage, Updates etc), select the
required category from the Filter by Category drop down. For further more
filtering of the feature (CPU, Slot number, BIOS etc), you can use Keyword
Search option.
Exporting Lifecycle Log
Use the Export Lifecycle Log feature to export the Lifecycle Log information
to a compressed file (.gz format) that has log files in an .xml file. You can
save the XML file in a USB drive or on a network share. For more information
about the schema, see
en.community.dell.com/techcenter/extras/m/white_papers/20270305 . Before
exporting the Lifecycle Log, make sure that the following prerequisites are
met: To export the file to a USB drive, make sure that a USB drive is
connected to the managed server. To export the file to a network share (shared
folder), set the correct network settings. For more information, see
Configuring Network Settings for a NIC. NOTE: As the system events are
generated by various systems management tools, you may not view the events in
log immediately after they were logged.
NOTE: The log data is exported to a compressed file (.gz format) only if iDRAC
version 1.50.50 or later is installed. Else, the data is exported as an .xml
file.
To export the Lifecycle Log:
1. Start Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle
Controller 2. In the left pane, click Lifecycle Log. 3. In the right pane,
click Export Lifecycle Log. 4. Select either USB Drive or Network Share.
For more information, see Exporting hardware inventory to a USB drive or
Exporting hardware inventory to network share
When you select Network Share, to verify connection, click Test Network
Connection. Lifecycle Controller pings the Gateway IP, DNS server IP, and host
IP.
NOTE: Lifecycle Controller cannot ping the domain name and cannot display the
IP address if the DNS is not able to resolve the domain name. Make sure that
the issue with DNS is resolved and retry.
5. Click Finish. The Lifecycle Log is exported to the specified location.
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25
Exporting Lifecycle Log to a USB drive
To export the Lifecycle Log to a USB drive: 1. From the Select Device drop-
down menu, select a USB drive. 2. Click Browse, to select the respective
folder where the file is stored. For example, LogsLCLogs.
NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path that includes the
file name and file extension. For example, if 56 characters are used for file
name and extension, only 200 characters can be used for the path. Lifecycle
Controller does not support these characters -:, ,?,”,<,>,|,#,%,^, and SPACE.
Exporting Lifecycle Log to network share
To export to a network share, select CIFS, NFS, HTTP, or HTTPS and type the
necessary details.
CIFS
For CIFS, type the following details: Share Name — Type the server IP or host
name followed by the root of the network share. Examples:
192.168.0.120sharename or \hostnamesharename. Domain and User Name — Type the
domain and user name required to log on to the network share. If there is no
domain,
type the user name. Password — Type the correct password. File Path — Type the
sub-directories, if any. For example, 2015Nov.
NOTE: The following characters are supported for user name and password:
Digits (09) Alphabets (a-z, A-Z) Special Characters (-, _, .)
NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path that includes the
file name and file extension. For example, if 56 characters are used for file
name and extension, only 200 characters can be used for the path. Lifecycle
Controller does not support these characters -:, ,?,”,<,>,|,#,%,^, and SPACE.
NFS
For NFS, type the following details: Share Name — Type the server IP or
hostname followed by the root of the network share. Examples:
192.168.0.120sharename or \hostnamesharename File Path — Type the
subdirectories path, if any. For example, 2015Nov. The examples provided for
Share Name and File Path are in the correct format even though it does not
follow the mount behavior for NFS shares.
NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path that includes the
file name and file extension. For example, if 56 characters are used for file
name and extension, only 200 characters can be used for the path. Lifecycle
Controller does not support these characters -:, ,?,”,<,>,|,#,%,^, and SPACE.
HTTP and HTTPS
For HTTP/HTTPS, type the following details: Share Name/Address–Type the IP
address of the local HTTP/HTTPS server. Examples: \192.168.0.120 or IP address
File Path–Type the subdirectories path, if any.
NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path that includes the
filename and file extension. For example, if 56 characters are used for
filename and extension, only 200 characters can be used for the path.
Lifecycle Controller does not support these characters -:, ,?,”,<,>,|,#,%, ^,
and SPACE.
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Adding a work note to the Lifecycle Log
You can add a work note to the Lifecycle Log to record comments for your
reference. You can enter comments such as scheduled downtime or changes made
by administrators who work in different shifts for later reference.
NOTE: You can type a maximum of 50 characters in the Lifecycle Log field. The
special characters such as <, >, &, and % are not supported.
To add a work note: 1. Start Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see
Starting Lifecycle Controller. 2. In the left pane, click Lifecycle Log. 3. In
the right pane, click Add a work note to Lifecycle Log. 4. In the Enter a work
note field, enter the comments and click OK.
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5
Firmware update
With Lifecycle Controller, the system can be updated using the repositories
accessible through FTP, a network share or on a locally attached USB drive or
a DVD. Use the Firmware Update page to: View the current version of the
installed applications and firmware. View a list of available updates. Select
the required updates, downloads (automatic), and then apply the updates to the
following components listed in the
table:
NOTE: When you update the firmware on a BCM57xx and 57xxx adapters, you notice
that the cards are displayed as QLogic. This is due to the acquisition of
Broadcom NetXtreme II by QLogic.
The following table lists the components that support the Firmware Update
feature:
NOTE: When multiple firmware updates are applied through out-of-band methods
or using the Lifecycle Controller GUI, the updates are ordered in the most
efficient possible manner to reduce unnecessary restarting of a system.
NOTE: Firmware update for SAS and SATA hard drives or solid-state drives is not supported from Lifecycle Controller GUI.
NOTE: When firmware update is in progress, do not reboot or shutdown or AC power cycle the host or iDRAC by any mechanism (manual or “Ctrl+Alt+Del” keys or options provided through iDRAC interfaces). The system (host and iDRAC) should always be rebooted or shutdown gracefully when no tasks/ jobs are running in iDRAC or host. Ungraceful or interrupting a operation can cause unpredictable results such as firmware corruption, generate core files, RSODs, YSODs, error events in LCL, etc.
Table 8. Firmware Update — Supported Components
Component Name Diagnostics
Firmware Rollback Supported? (Yes or No)
No
Out-of-band — System Restart Required?
No
OS Driver Pack
No
No
BIOS
Yes
Yes
RAID Controller SAS HBA
Yes
Yes
Yes (HBA345 and higher)
Yes
Backplanes**
Yes
Yes
Enclosures
Yes
Yes
NIC
Yes
Yes
iDRAC
Yes
Yes
Power Supply Unit
Yes
Yes
CPLD
No
Yes
NOTE: After CPLD firmware upgrade is complete, iDRAC restarts automatically.
FC Cards
Yes
Yes
HHHL NVMe adapter
Yes
Yes
NVMe PCIe SSD drives
Yes
Yes
Intel® OptaneTM DC Persistent Memory Yes
No
CMC*
No
Yes
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Firmware update
Table 8. Firmware Update — Supported Components (continued)
Component Name
Firmware Rollback Supported? (Yes Out-of-band — System Restart
or No)
Required?
OS Collector
No
No
BOSS
Yes
Yes
NVDIMM
Yes
Yes
Systems Management Application
No
Yes
Storage Enclosure Processor
Yes
Yes
IDSDM
No
Yes
- Indicates that though a system restart is not required, iDRAC must be restarted to apply the updates. iDRAC communication and monitoring will temporarily be interrupted.
** The backplanes that cannot be updated are not listed.
***Applicable only for FX2 modular systems.
An expander backplane FW update requires the primary SAS RAID/HBA controller to be enabled. If the controller is disabled via the enable/disable internal raid controller or the PCI-e slot is disabled at the Bios level, the backplane FW update job is expected to fail.
The SAS controller must be re-enabled to allow the expander Backplane firmware to update successfully. Once the update has been applied, the controller can be returned to its previous disabled state.
Topics:
· Firmware update methods · Version compatibility · Updating firmware · System Configuration Lockdown mode · Firmware rollback
Firmware update methods
The following table lists the various locations or media and methods to
perform the updates: NOTE: If the FTP server or network share is used for
updates, configure the network card using the Settings wizard before accessing
the updates.
NOTE: For Dell online catalog update, downloads.dell.com only supports https
protocol.
Table 9. Firmware update methods
Method
Dell Website
Location
FTP
Methods
Non-proxy (Internal) Proxy (Internal)
Media Methods
Local Drive Dell EMC server Update Utility DVD USB Drive
Virtual Console (Mapped on Client) Attached Locally
Location
Network Share CIFS
Firmware update
29
Table 9. Firmware update methods (continued)
NFS HTTP HTTPS
NOTE: If you select a local drive for updates, you will not get an option to
browse the device you have selected. You must know the name or path of the
filename before selecting the local drive.
The following table lists the supported interfaces, image-file types, and
whether Lifecycle Controller must be in enabled state for the firmware to be
updated:
Table 10. Image file types and dependencies
.D9 Image
Interface
Supported
Requires LC enabled
BMCFW64.exe utility Yes
No
Racadm FWUpdate
Yes
No
(old)
Racadm Update (new) Yes
Yes
iDRAC UI
Yes
Yes
WSMAN
Yes
Yes
In-band OS DUP
No
N/A
iDRAC DUP
Supported
Requires LC enabled
No
N/A
No
N/A
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Version compatibility
The version compatibility feature enables you to update the component firmware
versions that are compatible with system components. In case of compatibility
issues, Lifecycle Controller displays upgrade or downgrade error messages
during the update.
Updating firmware
You can update to the latest version of Lifecycle Controller using the
Firmware Update wizard. It is recommended that you run the Firmware Update
wizard regularly to access the latest updates. You can update the component
firmware by either using update repositories or individual DUPs–single
component DUP.
NOTE: The firmware for iDRAC and Lifecycle Controller is combined in a single
package. Make sure that the file name for the single component DUPs does not
have any blank space. If Collect System Inventory On Restart (CSIOR) is
disabled while performing an update, Lifecycle Controller
automatically updates the system inventory. Both 32bit and 64bit DUPs and
catalog are supported. If both the 32-bit and 64-bit DUPs are available in a
catalog,
the 64-bit DUP is preferred for the firmware update. 32-bit DUP is used for
firmware update only when 64-bit DUP is not available in a catalog. When you
check for updates, all compatible versions are listed. Before you install the
update, ensure that you select the latest available version and also ensure
that it is newer than the version currently installed. If you want to control
the version that iDRAC detects, create a custom repository using Dell
Repository Manager (DRM) and configure iDRAC to use that repository to check
for updates.
NOTE: When SEKM mode is enabled on a controller, iDRAC Firmware
downgrade/upgrade shall fail when tried from a SEKM to
a non-SEKM iDRAC version. iDRAC Firmware upgrade/downgrade shall pass when
done within the SEKM versions. PERC firmware downgrade to a non-SEKM version
shall fail when SEKM encryption mode is enabled on PERC controller.
30
Firmware update
SEKM functionalities require iDRAC Datacenter or Enterprise license with SEKM
license.
To update the firmware:
1. Start Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle
Controller. 2. In the left pane, click Firmware Update. 3. In the right pane,
click Launch Firmware Update. 4. Select any one of these update repositories:
FTP Server, Local Drive (CD, DVD, or USB), or Network Share (CIFS,
NFS, HTTP, or HTTPS), and click Next. The Enter Access Details page is
displayed.
NOTE: If you select FTP Server, you can verify the connection by clicking Test
Network Connection. If the domain name is provided, then the server IP address
and the domain name is displayed. If proxy IP is provided, then the proxy IP
along with the server IP is displayed.
NOTE: If you select Network Share (CIFS, NFS, HTTP, or HTTPS), you can verify
the connection by clicking Test Network Connection. By default, Lifecycle
Controller pings the host and proxy IP. 5. Type or select the appropriate
data. NOTE: In the FilePath or Update Package Path field, you can directly
enter the customized name for the catalog file. For example DUPadc.xml. 6.
Click Next. The Select Updates page is displayed with the catalog file,
catalog version, and component names for which the updates are available. 7.
Select the components that require an update, and then click Apply. The update
process is initiated, and the firmware update is completed. After restart, the
system is ready to use. NOTE: The system does not restart if operating system
driver packs, OS collector tool, or hardware diagnostics are updated.
NOTE: When applying more than one update, the system may restart between
updates. In this case, Lifecycle Controller restarts the server and
automatically continues the update process.
NOTE: iDRAC resets while updating iDRAC. If the iDRAC firmware update is
interrupted for any reason, wait for up to 30 minutes before you attempt
another firmware update.
NOTE: After the CPLD firmware is updated on the modular servers, on the View
Current Versions page, under Firmware Update, the firmware update date is
displayed as 2000-01-01, regardless of the actual update date. The updated
date and time are displayed based on the time zone that is configured on the
server.
NOTE: On a PowerEdge server, if you use Lifecycle Controller to update the
Intel network card firmware from version 15.0.xx to 16.5.xx or conversely,
reboot the server to view the updated firmware.
NOTE: If you update the Intel Network Card firmware from version 14.5.x to
16.5.xx or vice versa on a PowerEdge server by using Lifecycle Controller, the
Firmware Rollback page may display the firmware version as 15.0.xx instead of
14.5.x . However, the Firmware Rollback page displays the version 14.5.x if
you update the firmware by using the Intel Network firmware DUPs on the OS.
Selecting the type of update and update source
To perform the updates, you can download single component DUPs or repository
(Catalog.xml) using the Firmware Update wizard to one of the following:
NOTE: The Catalog.xml file contains the individual server bundles. Each bundle
consists of all the DUP information (md5 security key, date and time, path,
Release ID, version, and so on).
FTP server — Local FTP, or FTP server using a proxy server. NOTE: Make sure
that the repository (catalog file) and DUPs are copied to the root folder of
the source
Local Drive — Use a USB drive, Dell EMC server Updates DVD, or Lifecycle
Controller OS Driver Packs DVD Network Share (CIFS, NFS, HTTP, and HTTPS)
Firmware update
31
Using a local drive
Lifecycle Controller allows you to perform firmware updates using locally
available DVDs or USB drives, or virtual media. This flexibility improves the
efficiency of the update process when there is a high network traffic. After
selecting the update repository, Lifecycle Controller automatically detects
any necessary updates, and performs those updates on components you
specifically select. To access the repository on the local drive, create a
repository on a DVD or USB drive and attach it to the server locally or using
a virtual media.
Using a DVD
Use either the Server Update Utility (SUU) DVDs or custom DVDs (SUU ISO
downloaded from https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-in/000123359 and
written to a DVD) to perform the firmware updates. The available DVDs are:
OpenManage SUU DVD to update all the server components such as Lifecycle
Controller, Dell Diagnostics, BIOS, RAID
controller, NIC, iDRAC, and Power Supply Unit. Lifecycle Controller OS Driver
Packs DVD (Windows only) to update the operating system driver packs. To
access the updates from a DVD: 1. Insert the appropriate DVD in the locally
attached CD/DVD drive. Alternatively, insert the appropriate DVD in the client
and
use the Virtual Media feature to access the attached CD/DVD drive. For more
information, see the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller User’s Guide
available at https://www.dell.com/idracmanuals 2. From the Local Drive
drop-down menu, select the drive that contains the updated DVD. 3. In the File
Path or Update package path field, enter the location or subdirectory where
the catalog is available.
NOTE: If the catalog file is located in the root folder, do not enter the file
name in the File Path or Update package path field. However, if the catalog
file is located in a subdirectory, enter the subdirectory name.
NOTE: If the catalog file or DUP is downloaded from downloads.dell.com, do not
copy them to a subdirectory.
NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path that includes the
file name and file extension. For example, if 56 characters are used for file
name and extension, only 200 characters can be used for the path. Lifecycle
Controller does not support these characters -:, ,?,”,<,>,|,#,%,^, and SPACE.
Using a USB drive
You can download the repository from the SUU DVD or from an FTP location to a
USB drive, and then access the updates from this drive. Before downloading the
repository to the USB drive, make sure that the following prerequisites are
met: The updates are downloaded using the Dell Repository Manager and the
repository is created on a USB drive.
NOTE: To download the complete repository, make sure that the USB drive has 8
GB free space. Connect the USB drive to the system. To update using a USB
drive: 1. Insert a USB drive to the managed system. Alternatively, you can
insert the USB drive to the client system and use the
Virtual Media feature to access the USB drive. For more information about this
feature, see Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller User’s Guide available
at https://www.dell.com/idracmanuals 2. From the Select Device drop-down
menu, select the USB drive that contains the updates (DUP or repository). 3.
Click Browse to select the file or update package.
NOTE: If the catalog file or DUP is downloaded from downloads.dell.com, do not
copy them to a subdirectory.
NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path that includes the
file name and file extension. For example, if 56 characters are used for file
name and extension, only 200 characters can be used for the path. Lifecycle
Controller does not support these characters -:, ,?,”,<,>,|,#,%,^, and SPACE.
32
Firmware update
Using a FTP server
Lifecycle Controller provides options to update a server using firmware
available on an internal FTP server. To use local FTP that is configured as
proxy or non-proxy, use the following options: Using Non-Proxy FTP Server
Using Proxy FTP Server
Using a non-proxy FTP server
Lifecycle Controller can access the latest firmware from downloads page. It
downloads the DUPs from this location to perform firmware update. Before
performing an update using a non-proxy FTP server, make sure that the
following prerequisites are met: The network settings are configured (Settings
Network Settings). The updates are downloaded using Dell Repository Manager, and the repository is created on an internal FTP server. To update the system using an internal FTP server: Internal FTP server — Enter the following details: User Name — The user name to access the FTP location. Password — The password to access the FTP location. File Path or Update package path — Name of the DUP location or subdirectory where the catalog is available.
This step is optional for operating system driver source.
NOTE: If the catalog file is located in the root folder, do not enter the file name in the File Path or Update package path field. However, if the catalog file is located in a subdirectory, enter the subdirectory name.
NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path that includes the file name and file extension. For example, if 56 characters are used for file name and extension, only 200 characters can be used for the path. Lifecycle Controller does not support these characters -:, *,?,”,<,>,|,#,%,^, and SPACE.
Using proxy FTP server
Using Lifecycle Controller, you can update the firmware by using downloads.dell.com , or by using an internal FTP server, when you are connected to the Internet through a proxy server.
NOTE: FTP protocol doesnot support firmware update from ftp.dell.com.
Before performing an update using a proxy FTP server, make sure that the following prerequisites are met: The network settings are configured–Settings Network Settings. The updates are downloaded using the Dell Repository Manager, and the repository is created on an internal FTP server. The proxy server supports either HTTP, SOCKS4, or SOCKS5 protocols. Information related to proxy server such as IP address or host name of the proxy server, login credentials, and the port
number are readily available. NOTE: Lifecycle Controller does not support CCproxy. It supports only Squid proxy.
To update the system using the an internal FTP server in a proxy environment: Internal FTP server — Enter the following details:
User Name–The user name to access the FTP location. Password–The password to access the FTP location. File Path or Update package path — Name of the DUP location or subdirectory where the catalog is stored.
NOTE: If the catalog file is located in the root folder, do not enter the file name in the File Path or Update package path field. However, if the catalog file is located in a subdirectory, enter the subdirectory name (for example, subdirectory).
NOTE: If the catalog file or DUP is downloaded from downloads.dell.com, do not copy them to a subdirectory.
Firmware update
33
NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path that includes the
file name and file extension. For example, if 56 characters are used for file
name and extension, only 200 characters can be used for the path. Lifecycle
Controller does not support these characters -:, ,?,”,<,>,|,#,%,^, and SPACE.
Enable Settings — Select this option to enter the following details:
Server–The host name of the proxy server. Port–The port number of the proxy
server. User Name–The user name required to access the proxy server.
Password–The password required to access the proxy server. Type–The type of
proxy server. Lifecycle Controller supports HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS 4 proxy
server types.
Using network share
To use a shared folder over a network, select Network Share (CIFS, NFS, HTTP,
or HTTPS) and enter the details provided in the following table: CIFS For
CIFS, type the following details: Share Name/Address–Enter IP address or
hostname and the root shared folder location. For example,
\192.168.20.26shared_folder or \hostnameshare_folder
Domain and User Name–Type the correct domain and user name required to login
the network share. For example, login-name@myDomain, and if there is no
domain, type only the login name. For example, login-name.
Password–Password to access the share. File Path or Update package path–Name
of the DUP location or subdirectory, where the catalog is stored. NFS For NFS,
type the following details: Share Name–Path to the repository or the shared
folder where the DUPs are stored. For example,
\192.168.20.26sharename or \servernamesharename
File Path or Update package path–Name of the DUP location or subdirectory,
where the catalog is stored. NOTE: If the catalog file is located in the root
folder, do not enter the filename in the File Path or Update package path
field. However, if the catalog file is located in a subdirectory, enter the
subdirectory name.
NOTE: If the catalog file and DUP are downloaded from downloads.dell.com, do
not copy them to a subdirectory.
NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows 256 characters in a path that includes the
file name and file extension. For example, if 56 characters are used for file
name and extension, only 200 characters can be used for the path. Lifecycle
Controller does not support these characters -:, ,?,”,<,>,|,#,%,^, and SPACE.
HTTP or HTTPS For HTTP or HTTPS, type the following details: Share
Name/Address–Path to the address where the DUPs or repository is located. For
example,
192.168.20.26 or servername
File Path or Update package path–Name of the DUP location or subdirectory,
where the catalog is stored. NOTE: There is no option to browse to the folder.
To access the file, type the complete URL of the HTTP or HTTPS web server.
Enable Settings–Select this option to enter the following details: Server: The
hostname of the proxy server. Port: The port number of the proxy server. User
Name: The user name required to access the proxy server. Password: The
password required to access the proxy server. Type: The type of proxy server.
Lifecycle Controller supports HTTP, SOCKS 4, and SOCKS 5 proxy server types.
NOTE: HTTP, SOCKS 4, and SOCKS 5 (for IPv6) proxy server types are supported
in this release.
34
Firmware update
Using single component DUPs
To use single component Dell Update Packages (DUP), download the Dell Update
Package (only .exe) from the downloads.dell.com, or copy from the Server
Update Utility DVD, or from https://www.dell.com/support to a local hard
disk drive or network share.
NOTE: Make sure that the file name for the single component DUPs does not have
any blank space.
NOTE: Both 32bit and 64bit DUPs are supported.
NOTE: If you execute multiple jobs for various components and iDRAC DUP is one
of the jobs, ensure that iDRAC job is the last job in the queue. Ensure that
all other jobs are either in SCHEDULED or COMPLETED state before you execute
the iDRAC job. In the File Path or Update package path field, enter the name
of the DUP (for example, APP_WIN_RYYYZZZ.EXE) or if the DUP is present in a
subdirectory, enter both the subdirectory name and name of the DUP (for
example, subdirectoryAPP_WIN_RYYYZZZ.EXE). NOTE: Lifecycle Controller allows
256 characters in a path that includes the file name and file extension. For
example, if 56 characters are used for file name and extension, only 200
characters can be used for the path. Lifecycle Controller does not support
these characters -:, *,?,”,<,>,|,#,%,^, and SPACE.
Selecting and applying updates
1. To select and apply the updates, from the Available System Updates table,
select the check box beside the component that has the firmware you want to
update. After you select the catalog ID, details of the firmware selected are
displayed in the following format: Release Date: YYYY-MM-DD Source: USB Drive
or CD or DVD (
2. Click Apply. The system may restart after the update process is complete.
When applying more than one update, the system may restart between the updates
and launch back to Lifecycle Controller, and continue with the other selected
updates. NOTE: The system does not restart after updating the operating system
driver pack and hardware diagnostics.
NOTE: While using Lifecycle Controller to update the Power Supply Unit (PSU)
firmware, the system turns off after the first task. It takes a couple of
minutes to update the PSU firmware, and then automatically turns on the
server.
System Configuration Lockdown mode
System configuration Lockdown mode prevents OS based updates from changing the
firmware configurations. Enabling this feature blocks the firmware update of
the third party I/O cards. You can enable this feature using interfaces like
iDRAC GUI, LC UI, RACADM, Redfish, WSMAN, BIOS, and iSM.
NOTE: You must have Configure iDRAC and System Control privilege to enable /
disable lockdown mode.
NOTE: This feature is supported for Enterprise license.
Firmware rollback
Lifecycle Controller allows you to roll back to a previously installed version
of component firmware such as BIOS, iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller, RAID
Controller, NIC, Enclosure, Backplane, Fibre Channel cards, BOSS-S1, NVDIMM,
and Power Supply Unit (PSU). Use this feature if you are facing an issue in
the current version, and want to revert to the previouslyinstalled version.
Firmware update
35
NOTE: Firmware rollback for HBA is supported for HBA345 and later.
All servers supported by this release have a single iDRAC and Lifecycle
Controller firmware. Rolling back the iDRAC firmware also rolls back the
Lifecycle Controller firmware.
Dell Diagnostics, operating system driver packs, CPLD, and operating system
collector tool cannot be rolled back to earlier versions.
The earlier version is available only if the component firmware is updated at
least once to a different version. Except for iDRAC firmware, the earlier
version of the firmware is not displayed if the current version and the
earlier version
are the same. Every time a firmware image is updated, the earlier version of
the firmware image is backed up. Every time a rollback operation is performed,
the previously installed firmware becomes the current version. However,
for iDRAC, the previously installed version becomes the current version and
the current version is stored as the previous version. The earlier version of
the firmware is available only if any of the following tools are used to
update the firmware: Lifecycle Controller Firmware Update feature, Lifecycle
Controller-Remote Services, or the Dell Update Package (DUP) from operating
system.
NOTE: When SEKM mode is enabled on a controller, iDRAC Firmware rollback shall
fail when tried from a SEKM to a
non-SEKM iDRAC version. iDRAC Firmware rollback shall pass when done within
the SEKM versions. PERC firmware rollback to a non-SEKM version shall fail
when SEKM encryption mode is enabled on PERC
controller.
Rolling back to previous firmware versions
You can roll back to earlier versions of a firmware using the Firmware
Rollback wizard. NOTE: If you update any firmware only once, the rollback
feature provides the option to revert to the factory-installed component
firmware image. If you update the firmware more than once, the
factoryinstalled images are overwritten and you cannot revert to them.
To roll back a firmware:
1. Start Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle
Controller 2. In the left pane, click Firmware Update. 3. In the right pane,
click Launch Firmware Rollback.
The Firmware Rollback page displays a list of components for which roll back
is available and the later versions are selected by default.
NOTE: In Firmware Rollback page, the Component names may vary in iDRAC GUI and
Lifecycle Controller GUI.
4. Select the required rollback image and click Apply. After the update
process is complete, the system may restart. When applying more than one
update, the system may restart between updates and launch back to Lifecycle
Controller and continue updating.
Comparing firmware versions
To compare the version of the update or rollback with the version currently
installed on the system, compare the versions in the Current and Available
fields:
Component — Displays the name of the components. Select the check box
corresponding to the component that you want to update.
Current — Displays the component version currently installed on the system.
Available — Displays the version of the available firmware.
Updating or rolling back devices that affect Trusted Platform Module settings
Enabling Trusted Platform Module (TPM) with pre-boot measurement enables the
BitLocker protection on the system. When BitLocker protection is enabled,
updating or rolling back the components such as RAID controller, NIC, and BIOS
require that
36
Firmware update
a recovery password is entered or a USB drive that contains a recovery key is
inserted during the next system restart. For information on how to set TPM
settings, see the BIOS User Guide available at https://www.dell.com/support
When Lifecycle Controller detects that TPM security is set to On with Pre-boot
Measurements in the TPM version 1.2 or TPM Security On in the TPM version 2.0,
the message indicates that certain updates require the recovery password or
USB drive with the recovery key. The message also indicates components that
affect the BitLocker.
You can choose not to update or roll back those components by navigating to
the Select Updates page, and then clearing the options for the appropriate
components.
Firmware update
37
6
Configure
Lifecycle Controller provides various system configuration wizards. Use the
configuration wizards to configure system devices. The Configuration Wizards
has: System Configuration Wizards — This wizard includes LCD Panel Security,
iDRAC Settings, and System Date and
Time Configuration. Storage Configuration Wizards — This wizard includes RAID
Configuration, Key Encryption, and Break Mirror.
NOTE: It is recommended not to perform any storage configuration operation
during host booting. Doing so may result in unexpected result.
Topics:
· System control panel access options · Configuring iDRAC · Configuring system
time and date · Configuring RAID · Configuring RAID using software RAID ·
Creating a secure virtual disk on a RAID controller · Key encryption · Local
key encryption mode · Breaking mirrored drives · System setup — Advanced
Hardware Configuration · Collect system inventory on restart · Configuring a
local USB drive · Configuring NFS and CIFS servers · Conditions while
configuring HTTP or HTTPS server
System control panel access options
Lifecycle Controller front panel security configuration enables an
administrator to restrict access to system control panel interface. The
options available are: View and Modify — You can obtain information and make
changes using the system control panel interface. View Only — You can move
through the data screens to obtain information using the system control panel
interface. Disable — You do not have access to information or control, other
than the information displayed by the management
controller, and you cannot specify actions.
Controlling access to the front panel
To control access to the front panel: 1. Start Lifecycle Controller. For more
information, see Starting Lifecycle Controller. 2. From the Lifecycle
Controller Home page, select Hardware Configuration. 3. In the right pane,
select Configuration Wizards. 4. On the System Configuration Wizards page,
click LCD Panel Security. 5. Set System Control Panel Access to one of the
following options:
View and Modify View Only Disable 6. Click Finish to apply the changes.
38
Configure
Configuring iDRAC
To configure iDRAC parameters applicable to the system, such as LAN, common IP
settings, IPv4, IPv6, Virtual Media, and LAN user configuration use the iDRAC
Settings wizard.
NOTE: You can also use the System Setup utility during startup for configuring
iDRAC. For more information about the System Setup utility, see Using the
System Setup Program and Boot Manager.
To configure and manage the iDRAC parameters:
1. Start Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle
Controller. 2. In the left pane of Home page, click Hardware Configuration. 3.
In the right pane, click Configuration Wizards. 4. On the System Configuration
Wizards page, click iDRAC Settings, and then click the following options to
configure the
different iDRAC parameters. For more information about configuring iDRAC
settings, see the Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller User’s Guide
available at https://www.dell.com/idracmanuals
NOTE: Click System Summary to view the parameters and their values.
Network OS to iDRAC Pass Through Alerts System Event Log Virtual Media Thermal
System Location Front Panel Security User Configuration Smart Card Lifecycle
Controller Remote Enablement Reset iDRAC Configuration to defaults 5. Click
Back after setting the parameters for each option to return to the main menu.
6. Click Finish to apply the changes.
Configuring system time and date
To set the time and date for the managed system: 1. Start Lifecycle
Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle Controller. 2. From
the Lifecycle Controller Home page, select Hardware Configuration. 3. In the
right pane, select Configuration Wizards. 4. Under System Configuration
Wizards, click System Time and Date Configuration.
The default system time and system date displayed in Lifecycle Controller is
the date and time reported by the system BIOS. 5. Modify the System Time and
System Date (HH:MM:SS AM or PM), as required. 6. Click Finish to apply the
changes.
Configuring RAID
If your system has one or more supported PERC RAID controllers with PERC 8
firmware or later, or software RAID controllers, use the RAID Configuration
wizard to configure a virtual disk as the boot device.
NOTE: Create boot virtual disk only from disk drive populated across slots 03
of the system. For slot information, see the server Owner’s Manual at
https://www.dell.com/poweredgemanuals
NOTE: If there are any internal storage controller cards on the system, all
other external cards cannot be configured. The external cards can be
configured only if there are no internal cards.
Configure
39
NOTE: Autoconfigure to RAID 0 is not supported in Lifecycle controller.
NOTE: Lifecycle controller does not support VD creation when the controller is
in eHBA mode.
To configure RAID using LC: 1. Start Lifecycle Controller. For more
information, see Starting Lifecycle Controller. 2. In the left pane, click
Hardware Configuration. 3. In the right pane, click Configuration Wizards. 4.
Under Storage Configuration Wizards, click RAID Configuration to launch the
wizard.
The View Current RAID Configuration and Select Controller page is displayed.
NOTE: BOSS-S1 controller is supported at RAID 1 level only.
5. Select the controller and click Next. The Select RAID Level page is
displayed.
6. Select the RAID level and click Next. The Select Physical Disks page is
displayed.
7. Select the physical disk’s properties and click Next. The Virtual Disk
Attributes page is displayed.
8. Select the virtual disk parameters and click Next. The Summary page is
displayed.
9. To apply the RAID configuration, click Finish.
Foreign configuration found
The Foreign Configuration Found page is displayed only if a foreign
configuration physical disk drive resides on the selected RAID controller or
any uninitialized physical disk drives present on the system. A foreign
configuration is a set of physical disk drives containing a RAID configuration
that is introduced to the system, but is not managed by the RAID controller to
which it is attached. You may have a foreign configuration if physical disk
drives have been moved from one RAID controller to another RAID controller.
NOTE: Import Foreign Configuration is supported from System Setup > Advanced
Hardware Configuration > Device Settings.
You have two options: Ignore Foreign Configuration and Clear Foreign
Configuration.
If the foreign configuration contains data that you require, click Ignore
Foreign Configuration. If you click this option, the disk drive space
containing the foreign configuration is not available for use in a new virtual
drive.
To delete all data on the physical disk drives containing the foreign
configuration, click Clear Foreign Configuration. This option deletes the
hard-disk drive space containing the foreign configuration and makes it
available for use in a new virtual drive.
After selecting one of the above options, click Next.
Viewing current RAID configuration
The View Current RAID Configuration and Select Controller page displays the
attributes of any virtual disks already configured on the supported RAID
controllers attached to the system. You have two options:
Accept the existing virtual disks without changing. To select this option,
click Back. If you have to install the operating system on an existing virtual
disk, make sure that the virtual disk size and RAID level are correct.
Use the RAID configuration wizard to delete all the existing virtual disks and
create a single new virtual disk to be used as the new boot device. To select
this option, click Next. NOTE: RAID 0 does not provide data redundancy and hot
spare. Other RAID levels provide data redundancy and enable you to reconstruct
data in the event of a disk-drive failure.
NOTE: You can create only one virtual disk using Lifecycle Controller. To
create multiple virtual disks, use Option ROM. To access Option ROM, press
40
Configure
Selecting a RAID controller
The View Current RAID Configuration and Select Controller page displays all
supported RAID controllers attached to the system. Select the RAID controller
on which you want to create the virtual disk, and then click Next.
Selecting RAID levels
Select a RAID Level for the virtual disk: RAID 0 — Stripes data across the
physical disks. RAID 0 does not maintain redundant data. When a physical disk
fails in a
RAID 0 virtual disk, there is no method for rebuilding the data. RAID 0 offers
good read and write performance with zero data redundancy. RAID 1 — Mirrors or
duplicates data from one physical disk to another. If a physical disk fails,
data can be rebuilt using the data from the other side of the mirror. RAID 1
offers good read performance and average write performance with good data
redundancy. RAID 5 — Stripes data across the physical disks, and uses parity
information to maintain redundant data. If a physical disk fails, the data can
be rebuilt using the parity information. RAID 5 offers good read performance
and slower write performance with good data redundancy. RAID 6 — Stripes data
across the physical disks, and uses two sets of parity information for
additional data redundancy. If one or two physical disks fail, the data can be
rebuilt using the parity information. RAID 6 offers good data redundancy and
read performance but slower write performance. RAID 10 — Combines mirrored
physical disks with data striping. If a physical disk fails, data can be
rebuilt using the mirrored data. RAID 10 offers good read and write
performance with good data redundancy. RAID 50 — A dual-level array that uses
multiple RAID 5 sets in a single array. A single physical disk failure can
occur in each of the RAID 5 without any loss of data on the entire array.
Although the RAID 50 has increased write performance, its performance
decreases, data or program access gets slower, and transfer speeds on the
array are affected when a physical disk fails and reconstruction takes place.
RAID 60 — Combines the straight block level striping of RAID 0 with the
distributed double parity of RAID 6. The system must have at least eight
physical disks to use RAID 60. Failures while a single physical disk is
rebuilding in one RAID 60 set do not lead to data loss. RAID 60 has improved
fault tolerance because more than two physical disks on either span must fail
for data loss to occur.
NOTE: Depending on the type of controllers, some RAID levels are not
supported.
Minimum disk requirement for different RAID levels
Table 11. RAID level and number of disks
RAID Level
Minimum number of Disks
0
1*
1
2
5
3
6
4
10
4
50
6
60
8
- For PERC S140 / S150 RAID controllers, a minimum of two hard-disk drives are required.
Configure
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Selecting physical disks
Use the Select Physical Disks screen to select the physical disks to be used
for the virtual drive and select the physical disk drive-related properties.
The number of physical disks required for the virtual disk varies depending on
the RAID level. The minimum and maximum numbers of physical disks required for
the RAID level are displayed on the screen.
Protocol — Select the protocol for the disk pool: Serial Attached SCSI (SAS),
Serial ATA (SATA), or NVM Express (NVMe). SAS drives are used for high
performance, while SATA drives are used for a more cost-effective solution. A
disk pool is a logical grouping of physical disk drives on which one or more
virtual drives can be created. The protocol is the type of technology used to
implement RAID.
Media Type — Select the media type for the disk pool: Hard Disk Drives (HDD)
or Solid State Disks (SSD). HDDs use traditional rotational magnetic media for
data storage and SSDs implement flash memory for data storage.
Disk Boot Size — Select one of the following disk block sizes: 512 — indicates
that the 512 bytes block size hard drives (HDD) are selected. 4K — indicates
that the 4K block size hard disk drives (HDD) are selected. 4K block HDDs
allow the faster data transfer with fewer commands.
T10 Protection Information (T10 PI) Capability– It is known as DIF (Data
Integrity Fields) and the supporting HDDs are referred to DIF drives. The T10
enabled HDDs validates and stores the data integrity fields for each block. It
performs this action when you write the data on the disk and return these
values on a read request. When you read or write the data from the HDD, the
data is checked for the errors. Select one of the following types of T10
protection information capabilities: All — indicates that both the T10 PI
capable and non-capable HDDs are selected. T10 PI Capable — indicates that
only T10 PI capable HDDs are selected. Non-T10 Capable — indicates that only
non-T10 capable HDDs are selected.
NOTE: PERC 9 with version 9.3.2 and above doesn’t support T10 PI capabilities.
Encryption Capability — Select Yes to enable encryption capability. Encryption
Protocol — Select the type of encryption protocol. Select one of the following
types of encryption protocol
type: TCG Enterprise SSC — indicates only TCG Enterprise SSC Capable drives
are selected. TCG Opal SSC — indicates only TCG Opal SSC Capable drives are
selected. Non-Encryption Capable — indicates only non-encryption capable
drives are selected. Select Span Length — Select the span length. The span
length value refers to the number of physical disk drives included in each
span. Span length applies only to RAID 10, RAID 50, and RAID 60. The Select
Span Length — Setting span length is only supported in RAID 10, RAID 50, and
RAID 60. And in a RAID 10 configuration, the default value is set to 2 and the
option Span Length is not available is the storage controller supports Uneven
span. Select the physical disk-drives using the check boxes at the bottom of
the screen. The physical disk-drive selection must meet the requirements of
the RAID level and span length. To select all the physical disk-drives, click
Select All. After you select the option, the option changes to Deselect.
Setting virtual disk attributes
Use this page to specify the values for the following virtual drive
attributes:
Size — Specify the size of the virtual drive. Stripe Element Size — Select the
stripe element size. The stripe element size is the amount of drive space a
stripe
consumes on each physical-disk drive in the stripe. The Stripe Element Size
list may contain more options than initially displayed on the screen. Use the
up arrow and down arrow keys to view all available options. Read Policy —
Select the read policy: Read Ahead — The controller reads sequential sectors
of the virtual drives when seeking data. The Read Ahead policy
may improve system performance if the data is written to sequential sectors of
the virtual drives. No Read Ahead — The controller does not use the Read Ahead
policy. The No Read Ahead policy may improve system
performance, if the data is random and not written to sequential sectors.
Adaptive Read Ahead — The controller initiates the Read Ahead policy only if
the most-recently-read requests
accessed sequential sectors of the disk drive. If the most-recently-read
requests access random sectors of the disk drive, then the controller uses the
No Read Ahead policy. Write Policy — Select the write policy. Write Through —
The controller sends a write-request-completion signal only after the data is
written to the disk drive. The Write Through policy provides better data
security than the Write Back policy, because the system assumes that the data
is available only after it has been written to the disk drive.
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Configure
Write Back — The controller sends a write-request completion signal as soon as
the data is in the controller cache, but has not yet been written to the disk
drive. The Write Back policy may provide faster ‘write’ performance, but it
provides less data security, because a system failure can prevent the data
from being written to the disk drive.
Force Write Back — The write cache is enabled regardless of whether the
controller has an operational battery. If the controller does not have an
operational battery, data loss may occur in the event of a power failure.
Disk Cache Policy– Select the write policy. Enabled — The controller enables
physical disk cache setting while creating virtual disks. Disabled –The
controller disables physical disk cache setting while creating virtual disks.
Assign a Hot Spare Disk if available — Select this option to assign a hot
spare to the virtual drive. A hot spare is an unused backup physical disk
drive that is used to rebuild data from a redundant virtual drive. A hot spare
can be used only with a redundant RAID level. Hot spares also have physical
disk-drive size requirements. The hot spare must be as large as or bigger than
the smallest physical disk-drive included in the virtual drive. If the RAID
level and physical disk-drive availability do not meet these requirements, a
hot spare is not assigned. NOTE: Assign a hot spare only from disk drives
populated across slots 03 of the system. For slot information, see the
PowerEdge Owner’s manual at https://www.dell.com/poweredgemanuals
Hot Spare Disk — Select a disk that is used as a hot spare. Only one dedicated
hot spare is supported in Lifecycle Controller.
Secure Virtual Disk — Select to secure the virtual drive using the
controller’s security key. NOTE: The secure virtual drive is created only if
the controller security key is created and the selected disks are Self-
Encrypting Drives (SEDs).
Viewing summary
The Summary page displays the virtual disk attributes based on selections.
CAUTION: Clicking Finish deletes all existing virtual drives except any
foreign configurations that you specified. All data residing on the virtual
drives is lost.
To return to a previous page to review or change selections, click Back. To
close the wizard without making changes, click Cancel.
Click Finish to create a virtual drive with the displayed attributes.
Configuring RAID using software RAID
For the S140 / S150 controllers, ensure to change the SATA settings in the
system BIOS to RAID Mode. To change the setting using the BIOS, the latest
BIOS version must be installed.
NOTE: For more information about RAID configuration, see the Creating RAID
using Lifecycle Controller white paper here. If you have an older BIOS, you
can configure RAID only through option ROM. Software RAID creation using
NVMe/HHHL drives supports only on UEFI mode. Software RAID doesn’t support any
encryption method such as SEKM, LKM, TCG OPAL etc.
Use this feature to configure RAID, if a PERC S140 / S150 controller is
enabled on the system. If you select the software RAID option, you cannot
create partial virtual disk through the Lifecycle Controller interface and it
displays the physical disk-drives as the Non-RAID disks or RAID-ready disks.
Non-RAID disk–A single disk-drive without any RAID properties. Needs
initialization to apply RAID levels. RAID-ready disk–The disk drive is
initialized and a RAID level can be applied.
NOTE: From Lifecycle Controller UI, you can deploy only Windows server
operating system using software RAID controller.
To configure software RAID:
1. Start Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle
Controller. 2. In the left pane, click Hardware Configuration. 3. In the right
pane, click Configuration Wizards. 4. Under Storage Configuration Wizards,
click RAID Configuration to launch the wizard.
The View Current RAID Configuration and Select Controller page is displayed.
Configure
43
Select the Windows or Linux RAID option to install the appropriate operating
system. This option is available only for the software RAID controller, which
enabled only if the software RAID controller is supported.
NOTE: Windows RAID supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, and 10, but, the Linux RAID
supports RAID level 1 only. After the RAID type is initialized, this option is
grayed out in the LCUI. To enable the RAID type, go to BIOS F2 settings,
convert the RAID Type to Non-RAID disk. 5. Select the controller, and click
Next. NOTE: If the non-RAID disk drives are attached to the selected
controller, select the non-RAID physical disk-drives, and then click Next to
initialize them. Else, the Select RAID Level page is displayed.
NOTE: During initialization, all the data on the non-RAID disk drives are
deleted.
6. Select the RAIDlevel and click Next. The Select Physical Disks page is
displayed.
7. Select the physical disk properties and click Next. The Virtual Disk
Attributes page is displayed.
Select NVMe protocoltype to enable software RAID creation on the NVMe disks.
To enable software RAID, go to BIOS F2 settings, and change the interface type
to NVMe on the NVMe disks. 8. Select the virtual disk parameters and click
Next. The Summary page is displayed. 9. To apply the RAID configuration, click
Finish.
Creating a secure virtual disk on a RAID controller
Make sure that the controller is set to use either Local Key Management (LKM)
or Secure Enterprise Key Manager (SEKM).
To create a secure virtual disk on a RAID controller: 1. Start Lifecycle
Controller. For more information, see Starting Lifecycle Controller. 2. In the
left pane, click Hardware Configur
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