PowerEdge: How to identify the hard drive properties and update the firmware

Table of Contents

1. How to identify hard driver properties in OMSA?
2. How to identify hard driver properties in the system setup page?
3. How to identify hard driver properties in the iDRAC interface?
4. How to update the hard drive firmware?

1. How to identify hard driver properties in OMSA?

• OpenManage Server Administrator can be used to determine the make and model of a hard drive. The firmware version is also visible on the line labeled "revision."

 
1.Launch OMSA on your PowerEdge server and navigate the menu on the left along the following path:
System > Storage > PERC Model > Connector X > Enclosure > Physical Disks  

Generally, there are two Connectors, 0 & 1, because your PERC is setting up a redundant path between the controller card and backplane. Hard drives are distributed between each connector.


2. Select the hard drive to inspect and, on the new window, you have all the details about the hard drive like Revision and Product ID (model). 

Knowing the Product ID is important if you want to update your firmware or add other identical disks.

 

2. How to identify hard driver properties in the system setup page?

Press F2 during the POST of your PowerEdge server to enter the system setup page and navigate the menu along the following path:

System Setup > Device Settings > PERC Model > Physical Disk Management > View Physical Disk Properties

Select the hard drive, and you have all the details about the hard drive. 

3. How to identify hard driver properties in the iDRAC interface?

To start, please connect to the iDRAC web interface using the defined IP Address with the admin credentials.

In the iDRAC Web Interface, go to Storage > Physical Disks.
Select the hard drive, and you have all the details about the hard drive. 

4. How to Update the hard drive Firmware?

Firmware is defined as a computer program that is hard coded into the hard drive and contains its basic operational storage programming. Another way to think of it is that firmware is a software middleman that allows your hardware to talk to software (that is, Windows operating systems, and so on). For a hard drive, the firmware is a program that governs the behavior and factory settings, even the identity, of that drive. Any drive that comes out of the factory and is in use in a computer or server has firmware installed on it from the factory.

Having the latest firmware can improve the performance and or reliability of your product. If newer firmware is available for a drive, it reflects the improvements engineered for the latest manufacturing.
 

Two solutions are available to update multiple Hard Drives in a PowerEdge server.

 

• Individual update

Locate the model firmware update on the Dell Support site and directly install it from a supported OS.

Installation
 

1. Browse to the location where you downloaded the file and double-click the new file.
2. Read over the release information in the dialog window.
3. Download and install any prerequisites identified in the dialog window before proceeding.
4. Click the Install button.
5. Follow the remaining prompts to perform the update.

All the hard drives corresponding to this firmware model will be updated.


 

• Global update

Using the Dell Nautilus Firmware Update Utility is probably one of the easiest and most flexible ways of updating your hard drive firmware.

You find instructions on how to download and create a bootable device that will automatically update all your Dell-branded hard drives, independent on manufacturer and model.

Follow this article to learn more about the Nautilus update.