Seriously the best video on how to get around the life-cycle controller. Thank you for everything in this video, saved me hours of time searching for a way to update everything.
I just ordered my T620 server for home lab. I'm doing some research/preparation for it's arrival. Performing hardware updates is the first thing that I want to do with it. Your video was very helpful! Thank you for the time that you put into it and sharing your knowledge with the rest of us. Greatly appreciate it.
Was trying to figure out how to upgrade the R610 firmwares over the weekend. Then your awesome video pop up on my video feed today. Thanks for the video!
Thank you for this easy to follow step-by-step! was given a R610 and setting it up at home. First time working on a server like this. Helpful links: Dell Live Image 3.0 (1.75GB)- www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=c31j4&oscode=ws8r2&productcode=poweredge-r610 DELL EMC Server Update Utility, Linux 32 bit Format, v.17.12.00 (9.18GB) - www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=chck1&oscode=rhe70&productcode=poweredge-r610
I have 6 dell servers so far and not a single one of them have been able to upgrade through the lifecycle controller, they have all been upgraded through centos. First time I spent an entire day trying to figure out what worked and what didn't, googled and tried tons of stuff until finally I went the centos route. Made a bootable usb stick, installed and started the dsu utility and it needed some additional drivers. Tried to install those additional drivers but ran out of space on the usb stick. Ended up popping a spare harddrive into the server, installed centos on that, installed the additional drivers and got it all working. Didn't write any of it down.. A couple of months later I got another server, had completely forgotten what worked the first time, so went through it all again, spending the better part of a day once more. Thought "Who needs more that 2 servers?" and didn't write anything down - yes, I'm that much of a numb-scull! Third server arrived, god dammit, why didn't I write anything down? Remembered something about installing centos on a harddrive because the usb stick didn't have enough space. Bought a bigger usb stick, installed centos on that, updated the drivers and ran the dsu utility straight from the usb stick. Server 4, 5 and 6: Booted from the usb stick, typed history in a terminal to remember what I did last time and just repeated the last step on my new server. I highly recommend keeping a dedicated dell server upgrade usb stick around, because once you get into playing with old servers there is always room for one more.
Dell has stopped supporting 11G servers on their FTP :( You can still download drivers from support site and install them from Windows. (That's how I did it..)
you downloaded the suu 64bit version for 12th generation poweredge servers but when i checked the dell website according to them the dell poweredge r610 is 11th generation and for that i could only find a 32bit image
Hi Rob.. need your suggestion if I should go got powerEdge 6** series or 7** series. I need bunch of(4-5) VM's created out of it, 1-2 core each to setup my own devops lab at home.
Hey! Both are good chassis's and should have similar hardware specs. The r610 will be limited to 6 drives, but the r710 comes can go up to 8 I believe. The other big difference is the thickness of the chassis, the 610 is a 1U and the 710 is a 2U, so you could actually fit 2 of the r610s in the same space it would take for 1 r710. So I would say if you were only going to get one server, get the r7xx series, if you think youll eventually have more than one, go with the r6xx series.
I have so many problems with a life cycle controller. I am stuck and want to sledge hammer this thing. How can I get into the machine. No OS I have tried to update/rollback to base and roll up
I am using the Java Web Start to launch the console, the "D" icon is being forwarded from the java application much like a fav icon on a website. D = Dell :)
Rob Willis Thanks. I have not had luck getting my console to work under any web browser due to security certificates that are self signed and the browser not liking that. So I had not seen the browser open a window for the condole and use the “D” icon yet. I at least can view all the iDrac internal web pages with settings through Chrome but can’t in any other browser like IE. I’ve seen the videos to change security settings and plugin type and some others that are more complex solutions but still can’t get it. When I saw the unrecognized Window with the D icon I was hoping it was some 3rd party app that you can run the plug in under. It’s not crucial in my server environment to use the console but I’ll still try and get it solved.
Thanks for this great and useful video. How were you able to resolve the cheap SSD drives flagged as bad that you mentioned in this video? I also have similar problem and all the firmware update did not solve my problem. Drive working but constantly blinking amber.
dude i don't know what to do, when trying to update through lifecycle i get an error for the ftp, when trying with an usb i got an error, when i try the virtual console i get an error, i have tried everything, everything is failing, i'm loosing my mind.
I know this is a bit of an old post but it looks like the R*10 serieseses of dell servers have been removed from the software. Does anyone have links to older copies? The dell link on the blog post seems to feed to a version whose support is limited to r*20 and upward.
Going to try this too. My LifeCycle Controller is downloading catalogue, but says it is all up to date. Bios is version 3.0.0, and on dell's site it is over 6.0.0..... so it isnt working either, even when not showing catalogue errors.
This is out of the box functionality. All of the DRACs I have seen do not have any licensing that I am aware of. There are different versions of the DRAC like in the 610 there is an Enterprise version, but in that case it is actually an additional piece of hardware.
Awesome video! I looked at the download page for the R610 and I can't seem to find the link to the Dell Support Live Image Version 2.2 All other searches I have done says that the file has moved, could you upload the image somewhere so I can download it? Thanks
Darn, it looks like they removed it shortly after I posted this. At this point I would look to use another bootable distro like CentOS or Ubuntu. All of the steps involved should be the same. Ill update my post with this info. Thanks!
They added it again, must have taken it down to do an update. But I still have an issue that maybe you can help with? My suu -e says that there are no updates applicable to the system and then stops. Can't update anything via the lifecycle controller because I get the "not an authentic Dell update" error. Any idea why this is happening?
If you do the suu -c what does it show? What version is LifeCycle controller? There are multiple generations of these chassis, mine are GII. If you had a GI, you might want to try an older SUU package. You can also try downloading the LifeCycle firmware itself from the support page and try flashing that.
Mine are GenII as well, I ended up fixing it, the lifecycle firmware was way out of date. I ended up logging into the iDRAC, and using the update feature in there. Updated the iDRAC firmware, then updated with the LifeCycle controller repair package. After that, the updates ran just fine. Ty for answering all the questions.
Great video. It is faster to just copy the SUU ISO file to the flash drive without extracting it on Windows. sudo mkdir /mnt/iso; sudo mount /mnt/disc/sda1/SUUImage.iso /mnt/iso -o loop
Seriously the best video on how to get around the life-cycle controller. Thank you for everything in this video, saved me hours of time searching for a way to update everything.
I just ordered my T620 server for home lab. I'm doing some research/preparation for it's arrival. Performing hardware updates is the first thing that I want to do with it. Your video was very helpful! Thank you for the time that you put into it and sharing your knowledge with the rest of us. Greatly appreciate it.
Was trying to figure out how to upgrade the R610 firmwares over the weekend. Then your awesome video pop up on my video feed today. Thanks for the video!
Excellent video Rob. After many failed attempts to update my 11G server, this helped me get it done. Keep up the great work! Thank you.
Glad to hear! Thanks!
Thank you for this easy to follow step-by-step! was given a R610 and setting it up at home. First time working on a server like this.
Helpful links:
Dell Live Image 3.0 (1.75GB)-
www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=c31j4&oscode=ws8r2&productcode=poweredge-r610
DELL EMC Server Update Utility, Linux 32 bit Format, v.17.12.00 (9.18GB) -
www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=chck1&oscode=rhe70&productcode=poweredge-r610
DUDE THANK YOU SO MUCH! I have tried countless other methods and yours finally worked!
thank you so much after 2 days of looking your vid is the only thing that can update my r710
Minh Nguyen just like you. 2days trying
Thank you much for posting this procedure video.. Worked like a charm!!
Thank you so much for this video. I first tried the other options before stumbling upon this video and I'm relieved that this worked.
Looks like i'm updating some R610 servers, this weekend. Great video. Thx !
Thank you very much, I have been trying to upgrade my Dell R610 and your method through linux definitely help.
This was a lifesaver for me ! Thanks.
Great video! Really useful
I have 6 dell servers so far and not a single one of them have been able to upgrade through the lifecycle controller, they have all been upgraded through centos.
First time I spent an entire day trying to figure out what worked and what didn't, googled and tried tons of stuff until finally I went the centos route. Made a bootable usb stick, installed and started the dsu utility and it needed some additional drivers. Tried to install those additional drivers but ran out of space on the usb stick. Ended up popping a spare harddrive into the server, installed centos on that, installed the additional drivers and got it all working. Didn't write any of it down..
A couple of months later I got another server, had completely forgotten what worked the first time, so went through it all again, spending the better part of a day once more. Thought "Who needs more that 2 servers?" and didn't write anything down - yes, I'm that much of a numb-scull!
Third server arrived, god dammit, why didn't I write anything down? Remembered something about installing centos on a harddrive because the usb stick didn't have enough space. Bought a bigger usb stick, installed centos on that, updated the drivers and ran the dsu utility straight from the usb stick.
Server 4, 5 and 6: Booted from the usb stick, typed history in a terminal to remember what I did last time and just repeated the last step on my new server.
I highly recommend keeping a dedicated dell server upgrade usb stick around, because once you get into playing with old servers there is always room for one more.
This guy gets it! :) Keep up fighting that good fight man!
Dell has stopped supporting 11G servers on their FTP :( You can still download drivers from support site and install them from Windows. (That's how I did it..)
that explains a lot
you downloaded the suu 64bit version for 12th generation poweredge servers but when i checked the dell website according to them the dell poweredge r610 is 11th generation and for that i could only find a 32bit image
me to....
would you expect this to work with a PowerEdge R210? I ran suu but it said there were no updates available.
Hi Rob.. need your suggestion if I should go got powerEdge 6** series or 7** series. I need bunch of(4-5) VM's created out of it, 1-2 core each to setup my own devops lab at home.
Hey! Both are good chassis's and should have similar hardware specs. The r610 will be limited to 6 drives, but the r710 comes can go up to 8 I believe. The other big difference is the thickness of the chassis, the 610 is a 1U and the 710 is a 2U, so you could actually fit 2 of the r610s in the same space it would take for 1 r710. So I would say if you were only going to get one server, get the r7xx series, if you think youll eventually have more than one, go with the r6xx series.
Thanks Rob
I have so many problems with a life cycle controller. I am stuck and want to sledge hammer this thing.
How can I get into the machine. No OS I have tried to update/rollback to base and roll up
Thanks, your video was well done and informative. What viewer are you using to navigate the idrac virtual console? It has a "D" icon for the app.
I am using the Java Web Start to launch the console, the "D" icon is being forwarded from the java application much like a fav icon on a website. D = Dell :)
Rob Willis Thanks. I have not had luck getting my console to work under any web browser due to security certificates that are self signed and the browser not liking that. So I had not seen the browser open a window for the condole and use the “D” icon yet. I at least can view all the iDrac internal web pages with settings through Chrome but can’t in any other browser like IE. I’ve seen the videos to change security settings and plugin type and some others that are more complex solutions but still can’t get it. When I saw the unrecognized Window with the D icon I was hoping it was some 3rd party app that you can run the plug in under. It’s not crucial in my server environment to use the console but I’ll still try and get it solved.
Thanks for this great and useful video.
How were you able to resolve the cheap SSD drives flagged as bad that you mentioned in this video? I also have similar problem and all the firmware update did not solve my problem. Drive working but constantly blinking amber.
I've had no luck getting the amber lights to clear on those drives, at this point I've just learned to live with it :)
dude i don't know what to do, when trying to update through lifecycle i get an error for the ftp, when trying with an usb i got an error, when i try the virtual console i get an error, i have tried everything, everything is failing, i'm loosing my mind.
God bless you man, really useful!
I'm finding the keyboard command from remote session do not work at all. Any ideas ?
I know this is a bit of an old post but it looks like the R*10 serieseses of dell servers have been removed from the software. Does anyone have links to older copies? The dell link on the blog post seems to feed to a version whose support is limited to r*20 and upward.
Found the answer on a well placed follow-up video! Thanks for the extra effort and help!
ua-cam.com/video/86KK_dZoCJ0/v-deo.html
I’m getting unable to resolve host ?
Going to try this too. My LifeCycle Controller is downloading catalogue, but says it is all up to date. Bios is version 3.0.0, and on dell's site it is over 6.0.0..... so it isnt working either, even when not showing catalogue errors.
That didnt work :( suu just says there isnt any updates too. No matter if I compare or upgrade... isnt finding anything
So I saw on your blog R610 isnt supported by SUU any longer.... probably why it isnt working
Unfortunately Dell removed the update ftp servers so this no longer works and requires you to have the iso file on usb or cd/dvd
Hi Rob; are all these iDrac operations doable from the standard as shipped drac, or do you have the full license installed?
This is out of the box functionality. All of the DRACs I have seen do not have any licensing that I am aware of. There are different versions of the DRAC like in the 610 there is an Enterprise version, but in that case it is actually an additional piece of hardware.
Awesome video! I looked at the download page for the R610 and I can't seem to find the link to the Dell Support Live Image Version 2.2 All other searches I have done says that the file has moved, could you upload the image somewhere so I can download it? Thanks
Darn, it looks like they removed it shortly after I posted this. At this point I would look to use another bootable distro like CentOS or Ubuntu. All of the steps involved should be the same. Ill update my post with this info. Thanks!
Bummer! I will have to find a bootable CentOS then. Thanks for the great videos!
They added it again, must have taken it down to do an update. But I still have an issue that maybe you can help with? My suu -e says that there are no updates applicable to the system and then stops. Can't update anything via the lifecycle controller because I get the "not an authentic Dell update" error. Any idea why this is happening?
If you do the suu -c what does it show? What version is LifeCycle controller? There are multiple generations of these chassis, mine are GII. If you had a GI, you might want to try an older SUU package. You can also try downloading the LifeCycle firmware itself from the support page and try flashing that.
Mine are GenII as well, I ended up fixing it, the lifecycle firmware was way out of date. I ended up logging into the iDRAC, and using the update feature in there. Updated the iDRAC firmware, then updated with the LifeCycle controller repair package. After that, the updates ran just fine. Ty for answering all the questions.
Great video. It is faster to just copy the SUU ISO file to the flash drive without extracting it on Windows. sudo mkdir /mnt/iso; sudo mount /mnt/disc/sda1/SUUImage.iso /mnt/iso -o loop
then cd to the mounted iso: cd /mnt/iso
meh, everytime i run rufus and burn the image is fails.
Just bought a used R610 with bios 2.something and ftp failed. I will try this tomorrow!
This should help you out :) : ua-cam.com/video/86KK_dZoCJ0/v-deo.html
Great video. Thanks
Thank you very much
Are you the guy that bought the busted M3 that was on Top Gear?
Haha, I had no idea what you were referring to but that is the second time someone asked me that. Turns out that guys name is Ron Willis. lololol.