Updating or Repairing the LCC / USC
Dell periodically provides updates to the software component of the Lifecycle Controller
known as the Unified Server Configurator or USC for short. Customers who want to
take advantage of the new features will want to download and install them as they
become available. In rare situations, it’s also possible that the USC code can become
corrupt and in need of ‘repair’. The same process exists for updating the USC as does
for repairing it. The server does not need to be shutdown in order to perform the update
but you may want to test the ensuing steps on a lab server first.
If you are certain which file you want to use to update / repair the USC, you can just
point your browser to ftp.dell.com and select the LifeCycleController directory and
download the file. Typically, the latest revision will have the most current date so you
can just sort the directory by date an example of the current USC file as of this writing is
USC_1.2.0_Rep_Pack_A00.usc.
If you are not certain which file to download, the preferred method is to go to the Drivers
and Downloads area at support.dell.com, input your system model number or Service
Tag and then allow the support web site to find the appropriate downloads for your
system. The screen shot below shows the downloads for an R710 as of 9/1/09.
You will note there are two downloads available to update / repair the USC but
you only need one.
The first item listed is a Windows based .EXE file which can be run at the
Windows server to update the USC:
The second item is a .USC file that performs the same function, but is loaded
using the iDRAC management web interface.
The next sections of this document outline the procedures to follow to perform
the update / repair using these two options.
Option #1
Updating the LCC & USC using the Windows or Linux Utilities
Run the executable that performs the update that you downloaded from
support.dell.com or ftp.dell.com. The screen shots below only include the
process for a Windows server – my apologies to the Linux folks!
A ‘welcome’ screen of sorts appears that allows you to review the requirements
and some details of the update. When ready, click on Install.
The install screen appears and informs you that it is “Collecting Inventory” – in
other words, determining the installed version of the USC and comparing it to the
version included in the utility.
After about 40 seconds, a window appears indicating the details of the upgrade
about to be performed. As an FYI, it is also possible to perform a downgrade by
merely downloading an older version of the USC code such as 1.1.0.
After selecting Yes, the upgrade commences and elapsed time is displayed.
After 5-10 minutes, the update completes.
When complete, exit the utility. To actually check the USC for the update and
see the new features, proceed to that section of this document.
Option #2
Updating the LCC & USC using the iDRAC Management Interface
The first step is to connect to the iDRAC Enterprise in your server. All you
should need is a java enabled browser and the IP address of the iDRAC in the
server you want to connect. This information is displayed during bootup of the
server as the iDRAC firmware loads - OR – if it is an 11G server, you can obtain
the information using the LCD front panel on the server (depress ‘check’ button,
select View, and then select DRAC IP, IPv4, IP). Once you connect to the
iDRAC, login as root with the password of calvin – unless you have changed the
password.
Once authenticated, in the left pane, select Remote Access and then the
Update tab. See screen for blade servers a bit further below.
For blade servers, you must select the iDRAC entry under Remote Access in
order to display the Update tab.
Step #1
Click on Browse and then select the directory where you downloaded the USC
update/repair file – this will be on your local management workstation, not the
server. In the example below, C:\USC\ USC_1.2.0_Rep_Pack_A00.usc
The .USC file is then uploaded to the server.
Step #2
The uploaded image is displayed on the iDRAC management screen. Click Next
to proceed.
When prompted, click OK.
Step #3
The uploaded image is applied to the LifeCycle Controller.
In my particular case, the screen stayed at 10% for 2-3 minutes and then jumped
to 100%.
When complete, you are notified that the “Recovery Image” was uploaded
successfully and you are done! To confirm the update occurred, refer to that
section in this document.
Confirming LCC & USC Update
Reboot the server and depress the F10 key to enter System Services (a.k.a.
USC). After a minute or so, the main screen appears.
Note: Despite the fact that the Home page of the USC recommends that you
should check for updates, when actually performing the check against
ftp.dell.com. My system was already current.
Using the mouse or cursor keys, select the About menu option and the version
of the USC is displayed.
New Features
The 1.2 version of the USC has some improvements in the UI and navigation as
well as several other features.
Under Platform Update, you now have an option to display the current versions
of all the system components.
Here’s an example of the current versions for a R710 system.
With the 1.2 version of the USC, you have a new option for updating the server /
“Platform” – the SUU (System Update Utility) DVD. This is in addition to the existing
options of ftp.dell.com or a USB stick. If you select the Platform Update option on the
main USC screen, select Local Drive and then look at the drop down box, you will see
that you can use a USB stick or the DVD. The USB stick has to be inserted in the server
and/or the DVD must be in the drive tray prior to launching Platform Update in order for
them to be visible in the drop down box.
Instructions for creating the necessary file structure for the USB can be found at
http://www.delltechcenter.com/page/Updates+using+USB+with+Lifecycle+Controller
The Current SUU 6.1.0 files can be downloaded from the URL below. Keep in mind that
you have to download both the 001 and 002 files and then concatenate them into a
single ISO file (3.5GB total) before you can actually burn the SUU DVD.
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&deviceid=16
823&libid=36&releaseid=R236931&vercnt=3&formatcnt=0&SystemID=PWE_R710&servi
cetag=&os=WNET&osl=en&catid=-1&impid=-1
To concatenate the files properly, use one of these commands after moving the two files
into an empty directory
copy /b OM* OM_610_SUU_A00.iso [Windows]
cat OM* > OM_610_SUU_A00.iso [Linux]