www.dell.com/powersolutions Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, May 2006. Copyright © 2006 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. DELL POWER SOLUTIONS 1
SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility (SUU) 1.3
enables administrators to deploy version downgrades
as well as upgrades, and to customize a server update
with specific Dell Update Packages. Previous versions of
SUU allowed administrators to view the system software
inventory, update the system with the latest component
versions, and view the available versions for other sup-
ported systems—but not to roll back component versions
when necessary. SUU 1.3 also includes support for both
Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 and Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Release 2 (R2) and is distributed
on two CDs: one for the Windows OS family and one for
the Linux OS family.
SUU 1.3 enables more flexibility and efficiency than
previous SUU versions, which required administrators to
execute all the updates in the System Update Set at one
time. In contrast, SUU 1.3 allows administrators to use
check boxes to select which components to update. For
example, Figure 1 shows a scenario in which only the Dell
Remote Access Controller 3 firmware will be upgraded,
even though other components are available for upgrade.
When a system component has a newer version than
is reflected in SUU 1.3, administrators can roll back to the
version contained in the System Update Set. In previous
versions, SUU allowed only updates to components. For
example, Figure 2 shows a scenario in which the BIOS can
be downgraded; the Enable Downgrade check box appears
in the upper left corner of the Comparison Report.
In addition, SUU 1.3 supports the Serial Attached SCSI
(SAS) Dell PowerVault™ MD1000 firmware and the Dell ™
BY STEVE FAGAN AND J. MARCOS PALACIOS, PH.D.
Expediting the Change Management Process Using Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility 1.3
Dell™ OpenManage™ Server Update Utility (SUU) 1.3 has been enhanced to support
the Novell® SUSE® Linux® Enterprise Server 9 and Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003
Release 2 operating systems. In addition, SUU 1.3 enables more management flex-
ibility and efficiency than previous versions by allowing administrators to customize
component updates, including rollback. This article discusses how such features can
help simplify operations and streamline the IT change management process.
Related Categories:
Change management
Dell OpenManage
Dell PowerEdge servers
Systems management
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Figure 1. Upgrading components in SUU 1.3
SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
DELL POWER SOLUTIONS Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, May 2006. Copyright © 2006 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. May 20062
PowerEdge™ Expandable RAID Controller 5/E adapter firmware and ™
driver. Support has also been added for updates to Dell PowerVault
firmware, including SDLT220, SDLT320, VS80, VS160, DDS4, DAT72,
and LTO-1 tape drives and related tape devices.
Supporting enhanced OS functionality SUU 1.3 supports SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 with Service
Pack 3 for Intel® Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T), in
addition to the Red Hat® Enterprise Linux OS. SUU 1.3 is designed
to perform updates in the same manner for any supported Linux
distribution installed on the target system. Figure 3 shows the stan-
dard Linux icon for the SUU 1.3 Linux repository.
The Dell PowerEdge Updates CD includes the OpenIPMI (Intel-
ligent Platform Management Interface) driver for Linux. At the
command-line interface, the -installIPMI command installs or
updates the OpenIPMI driver on the target Linux system. If SUU
1.3 detects that updates require the OpenIPMI driver to be installed
to enable commands such as suu -g, suu -c, suu -u, or suu -p,
an error message displays asking the administrator to install the
required OpenIPMI driver and then SUU exits. Running the suu -g
-installIPMI command will launch the graphical user interface
(GUI) and install or upgrade the OpenIPMI driver automatically.
If an OpenIPMI driver is not installed on the target system,
running the suu -installIPMI command installs the OpenIPMI
driver that is contained on the Dell PowerEdge Updates CD. If a
lower version of the OpenIPMI driver is currently installed on the
system, running the suu -installIPMI command updates it to the
version of the OpenIPMI driver contained on the Dell PowerEdge
Updates CD. If the same version or a higher version of the OpenIPMI
driver is installed on the system, running the suu -installIPMI
command does not affect the currently installed driver.
In addition, SUU 1.3 has added support for the Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 R2 IPMI driver. Previous versions of SUU
were designed to block component updates when this driver was
active. When the Intel InterModule Bus (IMB) IPMI driver is active,
SUU 1.3 will not inventory some components (a list of such com-
ponents is provided in the SUU 1.3 user’s guide); administrators
must temporarily uninstall the Intel IMB IPMI driver to update those
components. Note: Neither the Windows Server 2003 R2 IPMI driver
nor the Intel IMB IPMI driver is required for component updates.
SUU 1.3 is distributed on separate CDs for Microsoft Windows and
Linux operating systems. System administrators with mixed server
environments should have both SUU CDs available. For environments
that use Dell OpenManage IT Assistant for remote software updates,
repository imports from SUU 1.3 require two import operations. As
Figures 1 and 3 show, each repository listed on the GUI contains
only one OS family.
Streamlining the IT change management processAs administrators add software and hardware components to
PowerEdge servers, Dell OpenManage SUU 1.3 helps simplify the
change management process throughout the enterprise by allowing
administrators to customize component updates, including rollback.
In addition, SUU 1.3 is designed to support Microsoft Windows
Server 2003 R2 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 with Service
Pack 3 for Intel EM64T as well as Red Hat Enterprise Linux. By
taking advantage of the enhancements discussed in this article,
administrators are enabled to maintain and manage server compo-
nents flexibly, efficiently, and cost-effectively.
Steve Fagan is a test engineer on the Dell OpenManage Product Test team. He has a B.S. from Texas Tech University.
J. Marcos Palacios, Ph.D., is a software quality engineer on the Dell OpenManage Product Test team. Prior to joining Dell, he specialized in software test processes and methodologies at BMC Software. He has a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University.Figure 2. Downgrading components in SUU 1.3
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