Using Dell Repository Manager to Find Newer Updates from the Dell Online Repository

Transcription

1 Using Dell Repository Manager to Find Newer Updates from the Dell Online Repository Author: Jared Swan

2 This document is for informational purposes only and may contain typographical errors and technical inaccuracies. The content is provided as is, without express or implied warranties of any kind Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Dell and its affiliates cannot be responsible for errors or omissions in typography or photography. Dell, the Dell logo, and PowerEdge are trademarks of Dell Inc. Intel and Xeon are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Server are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell disclaims proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. March 2012 Rev 1.0 ii

3 Contents Introduction... 4 Finding an update quickly... 4 Using the Quick method... 4 For your consideration... 9 Preparing for newer updates in advance... 9 Creating your baseline repository... 9 Updating your repository with newer updates Conclusion Figures Figure 1. Opening Dell FTP online repository... 4 Figure 2. Opening the Dell FTP Catalog... 4 Figure 3. Using the filter to locate your system bundle... 5 Figure 4. Selecting the latest version bundle... 6 Figure 5. Viewing the Component tab... 7 Figure 6. Viewing the most useful component filter types... 7 Figure 7. Searching for a specific operating system... 8 Figure 8. Selecting and downloading the specific component... 8 Figure 9. Selecting your bundles Figure 10. Selecting the export types Figure 11. Returning to the Dell FTP site to copy other bundles to the repository Figure 12. Saving your baseline repository Figure 13. Opening your repository Figure 14. The Source Repository is the FTP catalog Figure 15. Viewing the summary results Figure 16. Viewing newer updates on the New Versions tab iii

4 Introduction With the various systems and devices that Dell produces and with all of the various versions of BIOS, drivers, firmware, and other software enabling them, finding the latest software update for a particular system or device could be challenging. Dell Repository Manager was created to help an IT administrator and other users manage and keep up with the latest software updates. There are several methods for managing updates, as this white paper will explain. Finding an update quickly This method is for finding an update with little or no planning, and where a repository does not exist. If there is already is a repository with the system s software update, the next section provides more insights into updating with an easier method. Using the Quick method 1. Know the system and devices that need to be updated. 2. Download and install Dell Repository Manager. 3. Launch Dell Repository Manager. You will see some configuration settings, none of which are required for a quick search. 4. Open the Dell FTP online repository. Figure 1. Opening Dell FTP online repository Or open it this way: Figure 2. Opening the Dell FTP Catalog 4

5 5. Once the Dell FTP Catalog is open, locate the bundle for your system. Use the filter to search either by text or from a list of supported platforms. Figure 3. Using the filter to locate your system bundle 6. Look through the discovered bundles and find the operating system and select the latest version bundle. 5

6 Figure 4. Selecting the latest version bundle At this point you have a Dell certified update baseline for the target system. You can export the bundle and use the updates, but the size of this bundle is over 800 MB and contains several components, which takes time to download. If you want to focus on a specific software update for a specific device, then proceed with the next steps. 7. On the Component tab, view all of the components in the bundle (in this case it is the Dell TM PowerEdge TM R710 server). 6

7 Figure 5. Viewing the Component tab 8. In the left pane navigation, view the component filters. The three most useful component filters are search, update type, or supported devices. Figure 6. Viewing the most useful component filter types If you are looking for a BIOS or firmware update, the Update Type narrows the list. If you know the device for which you are looking, use Supported Devices, in the example, a NIC. To narrow 7

8 down your choices and select a specific device from the list, use the Text Search to look for the device name. Use The Text Search exclusively to narrow the list. 9. Use the operating system filter to search for a specific operating system. Figure 7. Searching for a specific operating system 10. Select the component, and then click Download. Figure 8. Selecting and downloading the specific component 8

9 For your consideration The above steps for the Quick Method takes a user without any prior knowledge of Dell Repository Manager, from opening Dell Repository Manager, to filtering and sorting, and finally to downloading the required bundles, but there are some drawbacks to this method. Ultimately, this is not the fastest way. With planning, you can streamline the process by creating a repository and comparing it to the Dell FTP Catalog regularly, or as needed. Another method uses Dell Open Manage Essentials, which integrates with Dell Repository Manager and creates a repository for you based on your discovered network of devices. Know that searching bundles may not yield the latest updates. Not all components are found in bundles. Bundles provide a quick and easy way to group the updates recommended for that system and operating system. Use the steps from the Quick Method for bundle searching and to seek out components. You may get some different components in your results, which are either older updates that are no longer in the currently recommended bundles, or newer updates that have not been put into a recommended bundle. Creating a repository beforehand solves this problem. Preparing for newer updates in advance This section focuses on proactively preparing a repository by creating a baseline repository. This method is a faster and more automated method for finding updates. If you use the Quick Method above, it familiarizes you with Dell Repository Manager enough to locate the bundles required for your systems. Creating your baseline repository 1. Select the bundles you want to include in your repository, and then click Export. 9

10 Figure 9. Selecting your bundles 2. In the Export wizard, click Next. 3. On the Export Destination screen, select the export types. Figure 10. Selecting the export types 4. Select whether to export to a new or existing repository. 5. If you selected Export as NEW Repository, click Next, and then give it a name. 6. If you selected Export to existing Repository, click Next, and then select an open repository. 10

11 7. Continue to the Summary, and then click Finish. 8. Return to the Dell FTP Catalog to select other bundles and copy them to the new repository. Figure 11. Returning to the Dell FTP site to copy other bundles to the repository 9. Repeat steps 2 through 8 to add the bundles for all your systems. 10. Finally, save your baseline repository and use the default settings to download the software updates. Note: if the size seems excessive, you can remove components from the bundles on the Components tab, by selecting and deleting any unnecessary components. Figure 12. Saving your baseline repository Updating your repository with newer updates This section focuses on updating the baseline repository, which you created in the previous section. If you need to update quickly, use the following steps to update your baseline repository and find the updates you need. To quickly update your repository: 1. Open your repository. 11

12 Figure 13. Opening your repository Note that My Baseline has Dell PowerEdge R710 and R610 servers each running a Windows and Linux operating system. 2. In the menu bar, click Update (see Figure 13). 12

13 From the Update Repository, note that My Baseline is the destination and ftp catalog is the source. Figure 14. The Source Repository is the FTP catalog 3. Click Compare. 13

14 Figure 15 shows a summary of the comparison. Use the various tabs to display more results. Figure 15. Viewing the summary results 4. Click the Newer Versions tab. If there are newer updates they are in this tab. 14

15 Figure 16. Viewing newer updates on the New Versions tab 5. In the left pane navigation panel, select your systems, and then in the right pane select the components you want to update. Check the date of the source file to find the latest. 6. To start the update process, click Select. If some of the updates are in bundles, you are asked to confirm replacing the older versions in the bundles. 7. Once the update has completed, click Close. This takes you back to the main window. From the main window, find the updates in the Component tab and sort by the date, filtering for whatever you need to narrow the components. Now the components you need can be downloaded as described above. Conclusion Dell Repository Manager is designed as a versatile repository management tool. Finding and downloading recent updates is one of its functions. With planning and forethought, you can create a repository and use it to quickly update systems. Even without a repository, current updates can be found and downloaded quickly. 15