Dell™ Systems Build and Update Utility 1.3 User’s Guide w w w. d e l l . c o m | s u p p o r t . d e l l .
Notes NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer. ___________________ Information in this document is subject to change without notice. © 2009 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, PowerEdge, and OpenManage are trademarks of Dell Inc.
Contents 1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 7 Who Should Read This Document? . . . . . . . . . 7 How Will This Document Help Me? . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 How Do I Use This Document? . Dell SBUU Overview What is SBUU? What’s New in This Release Function Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . .
2 Launching SBUU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 3 Using SBUU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Using SBUU in Different Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . Updating Your System Firmware . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Your System Hardware Installing the Operating System . . . . . . . . 22 25 Deploying More Than One System With the Same Configuration . . . . . . . . . . 27 . . . . . . . . . 30 Deploying More Than One System With Slightly Different Configurations . . .
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents
1 Overview This chapter provides details on the information available in this document and where to find the required information. It also provides an overview of System Build and Update Utility (SBUU) and the prerequisites for using SBUU. About This Document It is strongly recommended that you read the current chapter before proceeding.
Depending on the Dell systems you want to deploy, redeploy or update, it is recommended that you use the document as follows. Table 1-1.
Dell SBUU Overview This section provides an overview of the Systems Build and Update Utility (SBUU). This chapter helps you understand the functionalities that SBUU provides to update and deploy your Dell systems. What is SBUU? SBUU is an integrated tool for deployment and update of your Dell systems. It has modules such as Server OS Installation, Firmware Update, and Hardware Configuration.
Table 1-2. Dell SBUU Functions (continued) You Want To Go To Install an operating system on your system. "Installing the Operating System" Create customized bootable media to deploy multiple systems (different platforms) of your choice "Using SBUU in Different Scenarios" Before You Begin Using SBUU This section lists the prerequisites for using SBUU and where to get other information that you may need while using this utility.
• Save your customizable bootable image • A common network share or a USB key to save your customized bootable image. • A common network share to save logs for each system on your network share. These logs can be a useful reference if you want to troubleshoot any problem your systems might have encountered during deployment. Server Operating System Installation Requirements • Operating system media or a network share or a USB key on which to save the operating system ISO image.
Supported Systems For the list of Dell systems supported for this version of SBUU, see the readme.txt file in the root folder or the Dell Systems Software Support Matrix on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com. Are There Other Dell Documents I Might Need? In addition to this guide and SBUU online help, you might need to refer to the following documents to get details on specific SBUU modules and Dell OpenManage products. These documents are available on the Dell Support website at support.dell.
• The Dell OpenManage Deployment Toolkit Command Line Interface Reference Guide provides general, best practice procedures on how to run the Deployment Toolkit (DTK), which is a set of command line tools for configuring and deploying Dell PowerEdge™ systems. • The Server Update Utility User's Guide provides information on how to identify and apply updates to your system.
Overview
2 Launching SBUU To launch SBUU locally using the Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD: 1 Insert the Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD in your system drive. 2 Reboot your system. The boot menu screen appears. To launch SBUU locally using the SBUU iso image downloaded from the support website: 1 Burn the SBUU iso image into a DVD and insert the DVD in your system drive. 2 Reboot your system. The boot menu screen appears.
5 Click Power Management. 6 To boot the host system with the Systems Build and Update media, select Power Cycle System under Power Control Operations, and click Apply. 7 Click Console. The Console Redirection screen appears. 8 Click Connect. You can now access the boot menu screen on your host system from your client system and proceed to use SBUU remotely. Figure 2-1.
Table 2-1 lists the options and their descriptions available on this screen. Table 2-1. Boot Menu Options Boot Menu Option Action Dell SBUU Takes you to the Dell Systems Build and Update Utility Home screen. Optical Media (CD/DVD) Check Checks if the Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD you inserted has any errors. Skip Optical Media Enables you to boot from your system hard drive.
Launching SBUU
3 Using SBUU This chapter describes the flexibility that SBUU offers to deploy and update your systems and also the various scenarios in which you can use SBUU. SBUU offers the following options: • Choice of configuration: Depending on your deployment and update requirement, you can configure all the three modules (Firmware Update, Hardware Configuration, and Server Operating System Installation), any one of the modules, or a combination of the modules.
• Choice of creating bootable media: You can create bootable media for a set of systems you select and then use the same media to boot each system in the set. If you select the USB drive as the destination for the image, SBUU gives you the option to make the USB device bootable and directly boot the system with the device.
2 Specify the location where your update files repository resides. For details, see "Firmware Update." For more details on repository selection, see the online help. If you want to compare your system component status with a different version of the Server Update Utility, provide the location of the Server Update Utility on the Repository Selection screen. 3 Click Continue. The Firmware Update inventories your system and generates a comparison report on the Comparison Report screen.
The progress bar appears after which your system reboots with the firmware updates configured. NOTE: For more information on the specific Firmware Update screens and what you can do on each screen, see the Systems Build and Update Utility online help. Configuring Your System Hardware On Your Current System 1 On the Systems Build and Update Utility Home screen, click Configure against Hardware Configuration or click Hardware Configuration on the left pane. The Configuration Status Summary screen appears.
A progress bar appears indicating that the configuration changes you saved in step 3 are being applied to your system. After the changes are applied, your system reboots automatically and is ready for use with the updated configuration. For Multiple Systems 1 On the Systems Build and Update Utility Home screen, click Change against System(s) Selection on the left pane. The Select System(s) screen appears. 2 Select the system(s) on which you want to deploy the hardware configuration you specify.
You can export the hardware configuration for later use by selecting Export Configuration. 9 Click Destination to provide the location where you want to save the bootable ISO image. The ISO Save Location screen appears. 10 Specify the location and click Continue. 11 Click Apply/Export. The ISO image is generated and saved in the location you specified in the preceding step.
Installing the Operating System 1 On the Systems Build and Update Utility Home screen, click Configure against Server OS Installation or click Server OS Installation on the left pane. The Set the Date and Time screen appears. NOTE: If you want to install ESXi Flash or HDD, insert SD card or USB key. 2 Make the required changes and click Continue. The Select an Operating System to Install screen appears.
8 You can change your configuration settings until this point by clicking Back. You can also save your configuration and export it for later use by clicking Go Back to Home Page. In this case, continue the current procedure from step 9. To apply the configuration on your system immediately, click Apply Now. In this case, continue the current procedure from step 11. NOTE: The Apply Now option is enabled only if you have not selected any system on the Select System (s) screen.
Deploying Your Current "Bare-Metal" Dell System In this scenario, you can see how to update and deploy your current system.
1 Update your system firmware, if required. For details on the Firmware Update, see "Firmware Update." For details on how to use the Firmware Update module, see step 1 through step 4 under "Updating Your System Firmware." 2 Configure your system hardware and make sure you click Save Settings before you navigate away from a component screen. For details on the Hardware Configuration module, see "Hardware Configuration.
The progress screen appears, after which the unattended update or deployment begins. If you have provided updates to your system firmware, the firmware update begins, using the configuration you saved. If any of the firmware updates requires a system reboot, your system reboots automatically. Then, SBUU continues with hardware configuration and operating system installation, as per your configuration. This completes your current system update and deployment.
Deploying More Than One System With the Same Configuration In this scenario, you can deploy more than one supported system with the same configuration (that is, having the same cards, controllers, hard drive, memory, and so on), for example, 50 Dell PowerEdge™ R710 systems.
1 On the Systems Build and Update Utility Home screen, click Change against System(s) Selection on the left pane. The Select System(s) screen appears. NOTE: Ensure that you click Select Systems so that the option to save the ISO image (Create Auto-deployment Bootable Image) is enabled on the Select Options screen. 2 Select PowerEdge R710 (for this example) from the Supported Systems list and click the right arrow. 3 Click Save Settings and return to the Systems Build and Update Utility Home screen.
Deploying More Than One System With Slightly Different Configurations In this scenario, you can see how to deploy more than one supported system with slightly different configurations. For example, you can configure 50 PowerEdge R710 systems but the systems may have different cards, controllers, hard drives, memory, and so on.
• The Hardware Configuration module displays all the configuration options under different tabs. Ensure that you select all relevant options for all the systems you selected. • The list of operating systems displayed in the Server Operating System Installation (SOI) module is a subset of supported operating systems that can be installed across the selected systems.
Select Systems Yes Firmware Update No SBUU Home Import Edit SOI (Set to RHEL 5.3) Generate ISO SBUU Home Import Edit SOI (Set to W2K8) Generate ISO Save Yes H/W Config No Save Yes SOI Set to W2K3 Required if Reconfiguring in Future No Save No Yes Export Export Generate ISO 1 If Configuring in Current Session Go to SBUU Home 34 Using SBUU Edit SOI (Set to RHEL 5.
1 Follow step 1 through step 8 in "Deploying More Than One System With Slightly Different Configurations" to create a bootable image to deploy an operating system, for example, Windows Server 2003 operating system. On the Systems Build and Update Utility Home screen, click SOI. On the Select an Operating System to Install screen, select Windows Server 2003.
Reusing Configuration Files In this scenario, you can import and reuse a configuration file that you created and exported in an earlier session. You can use this configuration file and create multiple ISO images with slightly different configuration. This configuration can be for the current system or for multiple systems. However, you need to create separate ISO images for every variation of the multiple systems deployment.
1 On the Systems Build and Update Utility Home screen, click Import Saved Configuration. The Import Configuration screen appears. 2 Specify the location from where you want to import the configuration file and click Continue. The progress screen appears, followed by the Imported Configuration File Details screen. 3 Click Systems Build and Update Utility Home. 4 Edit the existing configuration for the Firmware Update, Hardware Configuration, and SOI modules, if required.
Using SBUU
Important Information and Frequently Asked Questions 4 This chapter contains important information about the different modules in SBUU, including answers to some frequently asked questions. Firmware Update Important Information The Firmware Update module in SBUU enables you to update the BIOS and firmware versions of your Dell systems in a pre-operating system environment.
Q: I want to use my custom repository for firmware updates using SBUU. A: If you want to use your custom repository for firmware updates using SBUU, you will need a Linux repository. Also, you must ensure that the repository contains updates for the system on which you want to run firmware updates. Q: What should I do if I want to downgrade the firmware? A: If you want to downgrade the firmware, you will not be able to do it using the Firmware Update module.
Q: How do I know which components to configure? A: Select the system that you want to configure. In the left pane, SBUU displays the components that you can configure. Click the component. The right pane displays the options that you can configure for the selected component. Q: Where do I get more information on RAID controllers? A: For details on read, write, and cache policies and supported stripe sizes, see the Dell OpenManage Deployment Toolkit Command Line Interface Reference Guide.
Q: Using SBUU, can I configure RAID on a system with a SATA 2s controller connected to a hard drive? A: SBUU does not support RAID configuration on any system with a SATA 2s controller connected to a hard drive. To configure RAID on such a system, use the Ctrl+A option or set the hard drive configuration to Native mode through BIOS. Q: I have multiple SCSI and RAID controllers on my system.
Q: Does SBUU support RAID configuration on systems with SAS 5/IR controller cards? A: On systems with SAS 5/IR controller cards connected to more than two disks, SBUU supports only advanced RAID configuration. In Advanced mode, you must select a disk with the lowest drive ID for RAID configuration.
Q: Can I install Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 and VMware® ESX Server™ operating systems? A: Yes, you can. However, for operating systems such as Windows Server 2008 and VMware ESX Server, the native Graphical User Installation tool provided by the operating system installation media is used.
Index B F Boot Menu accessing, 15 options, 17 Firmware Update FAQs, 39 C H Configuring System Hardware current system, 22 multiple systems, 23 Hardware Configuration FAQs, 40 what BIOS options on your system?, 41 which components to configure for which Dell system, 41 D Functionalities in brief, 9 Deploying Current System, 27 Deploying More Than One System With Same Configuration, 30 I Installing Operating System, 25 Deploying More Than One System With Slightly Different Configuration, 32 M De
P Prerequisites Firmware Update, 11 Generic, 10 Hardware Configuration, 11 Server Operating System Installation, 11 Product overview functionalities, 9 R Reusing Configuration Files, 36 S Server Operating System Installation (SOI) FAQs, 43 uses, 43 Systems Build and Update Utility functionalities overview, 9 key features, 9 usage in different scenarios, 21 what is, 9 U Updating Your System Firmware, 21 46 Index
