GOAL:
- All of the hardware either proven working or proven not working.
- If it is proven working, get the firmware entirely updated.
- If it is proven not working, write a quick log of what's wrong and remove it.
- If it is not working, but you cannot proven that it is impossible for it to work in the future, write a quick log of what you tried. - Need to ID and match the Dell ready rails to each of the servers.
- Open up the servers and see if anything looks wrong, is out of place, or is missing or extra
- Write down any thing for the inventory spreadsheet
- Firmware
- Do the BIOS first, and go through most, if not all iterations:
- Get the version of the BIOS
- Set it to boot into compatibility mode (if applicable)
- Set the boot order to boot from USB
- See what other hardware is detected and if it has a firmware version number
- Head over to the Dell Support page GNULUG Cloud Wiki
- Search for "BIOS" -> Go through show more information -> Down at the bottom "other available versions"
- Download all (if possible) or at least most versions and cat them onto your FreeDOS drive
- - Wouldn't hurt to run a search "site:reddit.com dell poweredge ${modelname} bios brick"
- Update, update, update
- When you get to the DOS prompt, just type the name of the executable and press enter
- Start on the BIOS now and then have a partner with a different FreeDOS drive loading up other firmware updates
- On the Dell Support Site, filter on "Download Type: Firmware"
- Do the BIOS first, and go through most, if not all iterations: