HOW TO: Update firmware on Cisco UCS C-Series Rack-Mount Standalone server

These instructions are for Cisco UCS C200 M2 standalone server firmware upgrade from 1.4(2) to 1.4(3c)2 (Vblock support matrix 2.5.9). The procedure for other Cisco UCS server models and UCS-managed servers might be different.

1. Download server firmware from Cisco Support website;
   1. Download Home >; Products >; Unified Computing and Servers >; Cisco UCS C-Series Rack-Mount Standalone Server Software
   2. Click on Cisco UCS C200 M2, download Unified Computing System (UCS) Server Firmware
      Cisco UCS Host Upgrade Utility – ucs-c200-huu-1.4.3c.2.iso
      You will need to login to Cisco Support with your Cisco ID
      
2. Exctract CIMC firmware upgrade from the ISO image that you downloaded from Cisco;
   upd-pkg-c200-m1-cimc.full.1.4.3c.bin
   
3. There is no need to shut the server down – CIMC firmware upgrade is non intrusive;
   Login to CIMC, for details on default login and password please refer to Default Passwords page
   
4. Click on Admin tab, Firmware Management;
   Current CIMC Firmware version
   
5. Click on Install CIMC Firmware through Browser Client, Browse to CIMC firmware update .bin file;
   
6. Click Install Firmware. New firmware will be downloaded to CIMC and installed as a Backup Version;
   
   
7. Click ‘Activate CIMC Firmware‘. Read the Warning that the management controller will be rebooted IMMEDIATELY to complete the activation
   
   Click ‘Activate Firmware’;
8. CIMC firmware activation will take several minutes. You will be redirected to the login screen. Make a note that CIMC Version is 1.4(3c);
   
9. At this point of time you MUST shutdown the server OS;
10. Login to CIMC and check the Server Status;
11. Click ‘Launch KVM Console‘ in the Actions area on the Server tab;
12. When KVM Console launches (don’t we all love Java?):
    1. click on VM (Virtual Media) tab, Add Image, browse to the ISO image we downloaded from Cisco in step 1.2 and click on Mapped check box next to it
       
    2. Go back to CIMC management web interface and Power On Server in the Actions area on the Server tab, click OK to confirm
13. Make sure your server boots from CD (Virtual CD you mapped to the ISO image). Press F6 to invoke Boot Menu, select ‘Cisco Virtual CD/DVD’
    
14. Respond to the ‘Have you read Cisco EULA?’ message by pressing Y;
15. C-Series Host Upgrade Utility will start. You will be presented with the list of devices you can update firmware on:
    
    1. As you can see, you can update CIMC through Host Upgrade Utility as well as doing it manually as described above. Personally, I prefer to update CIMC manually in order to have the best possible experience with the Java KVM Console
    2. Enter 2 to update BIOS, wait for the update to finish, press any key to get back to the menu
    3. Enter 3 to update LOM (if needed)
    4. Enter 4 to update LSI controller firmware
    5. Enter 10 to Reboot, retaining current CIMC settings
16. Close KVM Console, this will also disconnect any Virtual Media you mapped;
17. Your server will be powered on automatically.

Done.