Now remember for the rest of the post my only goal was to update the firmware and bios of a Dell R900.
Downloading the Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility
First things first I decide to do is optain the newest Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility DVD. I search both Google and Dell and look for the main site but they refuse to give a product page link from their support site. The last time I used it was at version SUU 6.4 but just try proving that is the latest version. Dell says "For the latest version, go to http://support.dell.com and search on 'SUU' " but Dell seems to keep returning links to 2008's version. There is this link here which will take you to the manual but god forbid there a be download link. Finally I find a useful post here on DellTechCenter which sorta works.
Whats really funny is the post even says that google analytics shows searches for "OpenManage Download" were top searches for the entire site yet there still isn't a clear product page with the versions. Instead the post has you search their FTP for the latest. DellTechCenter has you use naviagate to ftp://ftp.dell.com/sysman using FileZilla. Sort the Files there and download the highest version of omxxx_suu_xxx.iso.xxx. Note that they are really large files (1.8gig each) so this takes a while; as in hours. Also note that its much better to use a ftp client like FileZilla to download these files rather than the http site which may introduce errors into files this large ( read below for checksum)
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| Dell FTP for SUU |
working with a different version but for om640 here is an example.
copy /b om640_suu_a00.iso.001+om640_suu_a00.iso.002+om640_suu_a00.iso.003+om640_suu_a00.iso.004 om640_suu_a00.iso
This took my machine using a solid state hard drive about 20 minutes to complete so give it time. This will create the "om640_suu_aoo.iso" file in the same folder. This should be the completed ISO we need. One problem down but two more created. Is this file correctly constructed as Dell didn't give a Checksum and can you get the ISO image to the server since it is over 7 gigs it requires double layer DVD (DVD-9) media to burn. Also this ISO is NOT BOOTABLE. You will have to have a working operating system in-order to even mount the ISO or DVD and run the updates.
Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility ISO CheckSum
Why Dell doesn't provide this is crazy. Particularly since you have to piece the file together. Using MD5sums I get the following:
| File | MD5 Checksum | File Size in Bytes |
| om640_suu_a00.iso | ceede29bb07ae411895bcbb26659c49a | 7,291,375,616 |
Note: I'll try to keep this updated with future versions of the ISO.
Getting Dell OpenManage SUU DVD to the Machine
Since the ISO image to the server since it is over 7 gigs it requires double layer DVD (DVD-9) media to burn. I didn't have any but fear not. I have a DRAC (Dell Remote Access Cards) on the server so can remotely mount the ISO to the Server directly with out ever burning it to media. I had problem because it was a DRAC version 5 and I had IE 9 installed but you can read about that in another post if ActiveX control creates an install loop for you too.
Running the Dell OpenManage SUU DVD
OK, hours later than I figured, I have the Dell SUU DVD. You can have it either burned or mapped to the server in someway. Its finely time to mount the DVD. A useful post here gives the commands but basically its as follows after you but the ESX host in Maintenance mode. SSH to the ESX Host and su to root.
mount /mnt/cdrom cd /mnt/cdrom sh suu -c
The "sh suu -c" will output a list of available upgrades. If they look correct you can install them with:
sh suu -u
That should finish and ask you to reboot. But if your luck is like mine in instead get the following output.
[root@nkuvmhost4 cdrom]# sh suu -u ------------------------------------------------ Welcome to the Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility. Copyright (c) 2003-2010 Dell Inc. All Rights Reserved. SUU Version: 6 .4 .0 .87 SUU Log location: /var/log/dell/suu System is compliant with prerequisites ERROR: 'Invalid byte 1 of 1-byte UTF-8 sequence.' ERROR: 'com.sun.org.apache.xml.internal.utils.WrappedRuntimeException: Invalid byte 1 of 1-byte UTF-8 sequence.' An error occured during the transformation of the XSL while creating the custom XML javax.xml.transform.TransformerException: com.sun.org.apache.xml.internal.utils.WrappedRuntimeException: Invalid byte 1 of 1-byte UTF-8 sequence. exiting SUU application ... [root@nkuvmhost4 cdrom]#
Really, after all that I run the update command only to get an "Invalid byte 1 of 1-byte UTF-8 sequence" error. At this point I really want to format all of Dell's web servers. I google search the problem but don't really see anything that looks like what i'm seeing, One or two posts. I start to wonder what is more likely, that no one else has this problem or that the ISO I'm using is corrupt. I also tried instead to use an older script from DellTechCenter that uses SUU -C to get a list and then install the correct bundles but doesn't appear to work anymore.
That would explain why more people are not complaining about the issue with the ISO. Note that this thought was the reason for all the earlier parts of the post on checksum. I knew it could happen but the ISO parts were still downloading via FileZilla (ftp) . I instead had tried to use the old ISO I already had which had been downloaded months before via http. After it finaly finished downloading the ISO parts and combined together. I tested the md5 checksum and found that that the ISO's matched. Knowing they were the same I mounted the new ISO anyway and tried it again and still the same "Invalid byte 1 of 1-byte UTF-8 sequence" error.
I also run in two other issues even trying to test the new ISO. On where SUU said another instance was already running. And the other being an issue with the Dell DRAC 5 was calling the ESX's USB to fail. Its now 7 hours after i began this and still haven't got the Dell SUU to run any updates.
I finally try "sh suu -e" one more time before going home. I opened a second SSH session in order to check on SUU's progress. From the second SSH session as root run "sh suu -p" for a progress of the updates. To my surprise its actually working and here is the output to prove it.
[root@nkuvmhost4 cdrom]# sh suu -p ------------------------------------------------ Welcome to the Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility. Copyright (c) 2003-2010 Dell Inc. All Rights Reserved. SUU Version: 6 .4 .0 .87 SUU Log location: /var/log/dell/suu ====== update progress ====== ------------------------------------------------ Package name : NETW_FRMW_LX_R284339.BIN Status : Update is in progress ------------------------------------------------ Package name : FRMW_LX_R261277.BIN Status : Update successful [root@nkuvmhost4 cdrom]#All of that just to get the Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility (SUU) running. I really hope that this was just me and one else ever has a similar time with this.
Links
- this bootable Disk lets you mount the SUU DVD if you don't have a supported operating system installed.
- http://www.delltechcenter.com/page/OpenManage+Systems+Management
Same problem here. MD5sum is the same as yours. Have tried multiple servers and run gui as well as command line. command line gives the same error as you.
ReplyDeleteMay just ignore this edition and wait for the next. It does complain its more than 120 days old. There should be a new one out soon.
Vic
I think I found the cause of our problems.
ReplyDeleteI used Winzip to empty the contents of the ISO to a folder on my linux nas server. Then tried to run the suu exe on my Windows servers where it failed with this same error.
Since posting my previous message, I jumped on my Redhat boxes and I mounted the iso image through the loop device and then used the suu tool. It worked!
I shared out the mount point via samba and my windows boxes are now working too!!
Not sure what changed since the winzip to folder process used to work just fine before.
HTH
Vic.
Ha!. Yeah, that's why we are switching to HP now....U just waste days trying to find anything on the DELL website and then the software is so buggy that it ruins another day or two. We just have crisis after crisis with DELL hardware and their firmware updates. It really shouldn't be that hard to get to some software u need.
ReplyDeleteJohn Bradshaw
Going through some similar issues today working on updating a PowerEdge T710. Luckily I stumbled across this and I THINK I might have found the files I need. Such a goose chase.
ReplyDeleteI ran into this problem too; but found a better solution. Install the Dell Server Repository Manager, and specify you only want firmware/bios upgrades, then only LINUX based patches, then select your server type.
ReplyDeleteClick the export button at the bottom and export to ISO, boot w/ISO and it will flash yer boxen
Hi,
ReplyDeleteHappy to see your blog post on this websites as it is just what I’ve looking for. I am looking forward to another great blog from you.
The most fool proof solution to finding the latest version of the Server Update Utility is to go to support.euro.dell.com, click Drivers & Downloads, select Small Business and enter your Service Tag or Express Service Code. From the Operating System drop-down select a Windows OS such as Windows Server 2008 R2 and apply the filter. Under the Systems Management section, look for the System Update Utility.
ReplyDeleteThe page offers all of the files that make up the SUU and gives instructions for creating the complete ISO.
Once you have the SUU ISO, download the "Systems Build and Update Utility" DVD and burn it to DVD. Extract the contents of the Server Update Utility iso to a memory stick. Take the memory stick and SBUU DVD to your desired server, boot from the SBUU DVD and follow the wizard to perform the updates inserting the memory stick when prompted. You can also use a network location for the SUU if you don't have any memory sticks knocking about.
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ReplyDelete