Performing bulk iDRAC updates without system reboot

Hmmm.... there is a Filter named "Reboot required" which i use often.  We upgrade our iDRAC trough on a regulare bases and i never see that the Host reboots when upgrading iDRAC.

I uprade our OME to the latet 3.x yesterday and i can check it.

Regards,
Joerg

Hello thanks for choosing Dell.

For iDRAC firmware updates, it will typically just reboot the iDRAC module but not the entire Server

We’ve tested in the lab with an R7525 on OME 3.10.1 and can confirm that the Server is not rebooted. Please see the attached as well.

I can't see that attachment as it is blocked by our proxy.

When I was testing it it was against G12 systems (intel) and only iDRAC selected and filtered by 'reboot required: no', reboots were triggered. 

A new group of G14 systems (intel) seems to not flag a reboot - how odd.

However is there a way to trigger these updates using a defined static or query group that isn't as clunky as the below options?

It is a shame that when using a static group when multi select devices and then going "More Actions > Update" that you cant filter for component type.

Alternatively, it is also a shame that the other option would be to create a new baseline to utilise a static/query group and have some sort of component filtering made available. It is a bit cumbersome for ad-hoc/one off upgrades, or for very specific subsets of systems when you don't have the luxury to just let it go throughout the day at any point. 

I will test with a few other systems now and try to find some more G12s that are still online 

thanks

OK, I've performed more tests. please see below.

Compliance baseline made to target requires no reboot:

Filter and select for idrac:

All selected, either by clicking iDrac individually or selecting all based on filter, prompts for reboot:

Next test:

Filtered down further to device name contains, select all but 1, no reboot prompt:

Selected the remaining device, prompts for reboot:

Any further changes to selections will prompt for reboot until filter is re-created.

The device I left unselected and then selected does not have this issue when selected as a single item:

Well.... may we can argue about a bad gui design but you can trust us that the host will not restartet if you filtered by "not reboot" and even when not the process will detect such packages which doesnt need a Host reboot. Iam pretty sure the info about Host reboot is within the packages and it doesnt matter if you apply them trough OME, iDRAC it self or from the OS.

Back to the GUI but when selected 2 Hosts where the first one have a iDRAC only update and the second one the BIOS for example the GUI may only print a single way to handly this split situation(i havent testet that). But even than the first Host will not reboot.

Regards,
Joerg

reset idrac and clear job queue is our standard approach.

I can confirm it rebooted as I was watching it on drac booting in to LC and through our monitoring being offline for 30 minutes. 

We have well over a thousand systems to push updates to. This uncertainty is not really acceptable, and the fact it was observed doesn't match with your comments, sorry. 

You havent mark them on the screenshots and thats why i mentioned it.

You should open an support ticket about your issue because its not a general behaviour and whats to be expected. Its not like that that are no problems within OME
Because we are a vSphere shop we have more OMIVV in the field.

If you do the same by manualy apply the FW updated on the iDRAC GUI you will take notice that the action buttons on the lower rights change depending what kind of type of package you have selected. If you select the FW iDRAC only or OS Driver Pack than the "Apply on next reboot" will disaper and only "Apply now" will be selectable for example.

If i i find the time i will downgrade a package on one Host to lift it up with OME again and compare my way of doing it with your screenshots. Right now only some DataDomains are not up to date but these systems arent updated with the help of OME.

OK.. i understood. But than select just one from your Test Hosts and press the update button at the end of the wizzard. 'Check the Uptime from the OS and you will see that there is no reboot.

As a Partner we push up to 100 Hosts into the field per year since 2008 and i never see the behaviour of a Host reboot when updating iDRAC or the other Non Reboot needed packages.  For half of them we are responsible and most of them are ESXi with a lot of VMs. So if there is a unwanted restart of a Hosts we will notice anyway

Oh.. and as Best Practice i click the checkbox for restarting iDRAC and deleting JOB queue because i cant be sure that another Admin have done. For deleting JOB queue you have think about because i dont know your environment and how to install the Hosts and apply your "standards".  We have a bunch for scripts which create configure Jobs on the iDRAC for example.

Regards,
Joerg

Regards,
Joerg

I cannot just 'trust us' as I have pushed out these updates before and 'trusted' the no reboot flag, only for the systems to reboot and only apply drac updates. I wouldn't have created this post if it wasn't an issue I was experiencing. 

Hello

I’ve checked further and this appears to be a known issue in the UI in OME 3.10.x versions

Refer Page 4 of the OpenManage Enterprise 3.10.x Release Notes (https://dell.to/43fTpoC)

In some combination of filters, the reboot required will appear

But it was confirmed that a reboot does not actually happen unless the update package needs a reboot

This will likely be fixed in the coming release of OME.

Alright, it has been an issue since ~3.8.x where it was triggering reboots as well.

Not game enough to trust that it wont actually reboot especially for production deployments so will just select all bar one or select individuals until it is fixed in a future release to display properly. 

thanks for the feedback

I upgraded half of your fleet from iDRAC 6.10.x to 7.x with latest OME(3.10.x) and follow our internal docs which means selecting "Update now" and "Stage Server for next boot".  Because of iDRAC Update is marked as "no reboot required" the job was created and executed immediately. The Hosts doesnt reboot during this action.

Regards,
Joerg