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Best Way To Deploy Firmware/BIOS Updates to Servers
Hello, with all of the options Dell has for handling keeping servers up-to-date with Firmware and BIOS updates, what is the best way to do it?
There is Dell Repository Manager, Dell OpenManage Essential, and there's a plug-in for vCenter. Which ones do I need?
DELL-Michael H
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January 9th, 2014 12:00
What you use depends on you and your environment.
Some administrators like to make custom repository to apply a baseline of firmware they have tested in-house instead of using the latest from the Dell FTP site. The Dell repository Manager is a free tool to create custom repositories. It also provides an automated way to make a linux boot cd and deploy your custom repository via boot cd for those older servers and special cases where there isn’t a better way (sneakernet).
Both the OpenManage Essentials and the OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter can use the repository from ftp.dell.com, or a custom repository created using the Dell Repository Manager to automatically deploy to 11th generation and newer servers.
The OpenManage Integration for VMware vCenter has some advantages if you are a VMware shop, such as being integrated into the vSphere VI-client providing a single pane of glass for visibility/reporting, scheduling of the updates, the ability have hosts enter maintenance mode as part of the update process, and the one-to-many firmware updates from the cluster and datacenter levels. The host being updated must belong to a vCenter managed by the integration, so for your non-esx/esxi servers, it will help to use another tool like the OpenManage Essentials.
Hope this helps some.