2.2 Obtaining, Configuring, and Updating PowerEdge Servers Using Dell Update Package Bundles

Dell Update Package bundles let you update and configure hardware and system settings (including BIOS, DRAC, RAID, BMC, and FRMW configurations) on Dell PowerEdge servers. After you obtain Dell Update Packages from Dell by using the mirroring capabilities of ZENworks Linux Management, you can easily assign the Dell Update Package bundles that are automatically created to PowerEdge servers in your ZENworks system. It is easy for you to determine if an updated Dell Update Package is available for PowerEdge servers in your system and deliver the update. ZENworks Linux Management helps you manage and update your PowerEdge servers though the entire server lifecycle.

The following sections contain additional information:

2.2.1 Obtaining Dell Update Packages from Dell

You can mirror Dell Update Packages from the Dell FTP site to your ZENworks server or you can mirror the CDs you receive from Dell Support.

Dell Update Packages let you update and configure hardware and system settings (including BIOS, DRAC, RAID, BMC, and FRMW configurations) on Dell PowerEdge servers.

To mirror Dell Update Packages from the Dell FTP site or from a CD, you create and configure an XML configuration file and then use the zlmmirror command line utility. The first time you mirror Dell Update Packages, all available packages are mirrored; subsequent mirror sessions obtain upgraded packages only. After the mirroring operation is complete, the Dell Update Packages are automatically bundled and display in the ZENworks Control Center on the Bundles page. You then assign the Dell Update Package bundles to devices just as you would with other bundles.

For more detailed information and step-by-step instructions, see Section 25.5, Mirroring Dell Update Packages to Your ZENworks Server

2.2.2 Assigning Dell Update Package Bundles to Configure and Update PowerEdge Servers

After the mirroring operation is complete, the Dell Update Packages are automatically bundled and display in the ZENworks Control Center on the Bundles page. To install them on PowerEdge servers in your ZENworks system, you must assign them to devices using the Assign Bundle Wizard in the ZENworks Control Center.

To assign a Dell Update Package bundle:

  1. In the ZENworks Control Center, click the Bundles tab, then click the underlined link next to the folder containing the Dell Update Packages that was created during the mirroring process.

  2. Select the desired Dell Update Package bundle by clicking the box next to its name, click Action, then click Assign Bundle to launch the Assign Bundle Wizard.

  3. Follow the prompts to create the Dell Update Package bundle and assign it to devices. For information about what you need to supply at each step of the wizard, click the Help Question Mark icon.

    When assigning the bundle to devices, you can lessen your management overhead by assigning the policy to groups of devices rather than to individual devices. For more information about device groups, see Section 1.1, Organizing Devices: Folders and Groups.

    For more detailed information, see Section 23.2, Assigning Dell Update Package Bundles.

2.2.3 Determining If Newer Dell Package Updates Are Available for PowerEdge Servers

After you run a mirror session and obtain updated Dell Update Packages, it is easy to determine if a newer Dell Update Package is available for installation on Dell PowerEdge servers in your ZENworks system.

To determine if there are updated Dell Update Package bundles available for the servers in your system:

  1. In the ZENworks Control Center, click the Devices tab, then click Servers.

    A link in the Dell Updates column indicates whether there is a Dell Update Package bundle available in the ZENworks package repository for each Dell PowerEdge server in the list. An update is available in the following situations:

    • If a Dell Update Package exists in the ZENworks package repository but it is not assigned to that specific server model.

    • If a specific Dell Update Package is already assigned to the device, but an updated package has been mirrored and is available in the ZENworks package repository.

  2. Click the link to view the name of the Dell Update Package bundle appropriate for the device.

  3. If the appropriate Dell Update Package bundle is not yet assigned to the device, continue with Section 23.2, Assigning Dell Update Package Bundles.

    or

    If the appropriate Dell Update Package bundle is already assigned to the device, continue with Section 23.4, Deploying an Updated Version of a Dell Update Package Bundle.

For more information, see Section 23.3, Determining If Newer Dell Package Updates Are Available for PowerEdge Servers.

2.2.4 Deploying a Newer Dell Update Package

If a specific Dell Update Package is already assigned to the device, but an updated package has been mirrored and is available in the ZENworks package repository, you can deploy the updated version of the package.

  1. In the ZENworks Control Center, click the Bundles tab, click the underlined link next to the folder containing the Dell Update Packages that was created during the mirroring process.

  2. Click the underlined link in the Name column to display the bundle’s Summary page.

  3. Click the Details page.

  4. Use the Version drop-down list to select the desired version number, then click Deploy.

For more information, see Section 23.4, Deploying an Updated Version of a Dell Update Package Bundle.